KUCHING: Chief Minister Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud says the recording of negotiations on sale of plantation land discussed in what The Global Witness, a London based human rights NGO, claims was a sting is an attempt to tarnish his reputation.
“You look at that. I think it is a bit naughty of them to use their big power to blacken my name.”
The video clip recorded by a hidden camera shows two women who claim to be cousins of the chief minister discussing the sale of 5,000 hectares of plantation land owned by their company.
“Okay. If that is what they want to do it only reflects their credibility,” he added.
The recording also showed clips on negotiations between the interested ‘buyers’ and lawyers of the company and another company owned by a prominent businessman on the sale of another piece of plantation land.
When asked if the recording was proof that the deals negotiated were linked to him, he replied, “I saw the so-called proof. Could it not be someone trying to promote themselves to become an agent to get favours from me?
“It has nothing to do with me right?”
On the identity of the women who said they were daughters of his uncle former chief minister Tun Abdul Rahman Yakub, Taib asked the reporter who posed the questions, “Do you know that cousin? Did you find out what the relationship between their father and me? We were fighting at one time. That cousin cannot be my most trusted.”
The chief minister added that he never allowed anyone to be his intermediary on sale of state land and logging licence.
He said he made a public declaration on this back in 1980s when he held the state’s cabinet portfolio on forestry.
“I said nobody is my intermediary because I don’t believe in deals. Everything got to be done according to government procedure.”
With the general election looming more video clips discrediting politicians can be expected to surface.
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