A businessman from Sarawak has pulled out from a controversial land deal on Pulau Balambangan in Kudat district.

Datuk Seri Thomas Hah Tiing Siu said the decision was taken following the controversy over his company’s plan to invest in an agro-development project in Pulau Balambangan.

Hah, whose name is associated with the alleged controversy over the Kudat land agreement, said in a statement, “After considering the issues and controversies raised by certain parties, the company, with regret, has made the necessary considerations and decided to withdraw the investment proposal for the development of the agriculture sector in the affected area.”

Hah pointed out that the controversy, triggered by irresponsible parties, has affected the confidence of their fellow investors.

However, he asserted that all applications made were in line with the state government’s policy to advance the agriculture agenda of Sabah to enhance food security.

He added that an official letter to the state government informing them of the decision would be submitted later.

Facebook account “Edisi Panas Sabah” recently claimed the alleged link of Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor to the land deal involving 968 hectares of Pulau Balambangan.

Denying any involvement or wrongdoing in the land deal, Hajiji stressed that the allegations are ill-intended, politically motivated and aimed at smearing his name.

He said all the applications have gone through the necessary procedures through the Land Utilisation Committee meeting and processed at the office.

The Facebook account also provided details of the six land approvals amounting to a total of 2,393 acres or 968.4 hectares.

It claimed that these areas were for the purposes of goat farming even though the location is on an island with not much grass or vegetation for grazing, no source of freshwater but it is rich with silica.

Parti Warisan president Datuk Seri Panglima Mohd Shafie Apdal has also denied any involvement or wrongdoing in the land deal.

Meanwhile, Parti Gagasan Rakyat Sabah Vice President Datuk Rubin Balang said in a statement on Monday that investors interested in Sabah should not be overly concerned about the action by certain quarters in the state, to thwart the government’s effort to develop the state.

“It must be remembered that Sabah needs capable investors to invest in the state, as long as it benefits the people and the state of Sabah,” said Rubin in response to the decision of Hah to withdraw his company’s investment proposal in Sabah.

Rubin lamented that Hah’s decision had resulted in the people and state losing out not only in terms of revenue but also employment opportunities for the local population.

“The proposed projects, when realized, would undoubtedly benefit Sabah in terms of tax revenue, in addition to stimulating and accelerating the state’s economic growth. In reality, investors, including Datuk Sri Thomas Hah, should not be overly concerned or worried about the issues and comments of certain parties in this state, especially opposition parties that will oppose any government effort to advance and develop the state. That is the work of opposition parties,” he stressed.

According to Rubin, under the leadership of the Chief Minister, Sabah follows an investor-friendly policy, which is the best approach to advance the state’s economy.

This investor-friendly policy has successfully attracted many foreign and local investors to invest in the state, especially in the industrial, manufacturing and agricultural sectors.

“A policy that brings benefits to the people and the state, especially in terms of employment opportunities for the people of Sabah and stimulating economic growth, should be supported by all parties, including the opposition, because they will also benefit from it.

“The actions of the opposition, which oppose and make baseless and malicious accusations against the State Government and the Chief Minister regarding land dealings with investors and others, will only harm us all,” he stressed.

Source:
courtesy of THE BORNEO POST

by The Borneo Post

If you have any stories or news that you would like to share with the global online community, please feel free to share it with us by contacting us directly at [email protected]