The way business is done with Taib in Sarawak...."Although we approach the Government directly, officials sent us to members of Taib's own family"

Revealed: Taib, deforestation and illicit outflow

FMT Staff

 | March 19, 2013

An undercover video reveals the manner in which Sarawak's vast natural resources are being sold for profit by the powers-that-be, and the corruption involved.

KUALA LUMPUR:  An international NGO recently posed as foreign investors seeking to buy land for oil palm plantations in Sarawak and unravelled in shocking detail the outflow of funds in Malaysia, the level of corruption in Sarawak and the depth of Chief Minister Taib Mahmud’s family’s involvement in raping the state.

According to Global Witness, they had approached the Regional Corridor Development Authority (RECODA), a government body charged with receiving foreign investment.

“An official at RECODA during a meeting in March 2012 directed our investigator to certain members of Taib’s family looking to sell their company licensed to log and clear land for plantations.

“Out of four land leases offered to Global Witness during 2012, members of the Chief Minister’s family were direct shareholders or beneficial owners of three of these.

“The fourth deal was proposed by an intermediary on the understanding that Taib would receive a multimillion dollar kickback from the selling party,” said Global Witness.

Among the key findings of their investigations were:

• Kickbacks -  A representative of one of Sarawak’s biggest tycoons indicated that Taib would be likely to receive a multimillion dollar kickback for a plantation licence;

• Corrupt land deals – Members of Taib’s family were allocated land through directives from the state Ministry of Resource Planning and Environment, headed by Taib, for a mere RM300,000, which when sold would make the family multi-million ringgit profits.

• Tax evasions – A Taib-family owned company was offered for sale through an illegal transaction in Singapore designed to evade Malaysian tax.

Additionally, Global Witness also found out that there was a “well-established” team of lawyers who routinely facilitate illegal transactions in violation of Malaysian and Sarawak laws.

Global Witness was also told by senior government officials and a timber company executive that it was standard practice in Sarawak for companies to pay a personal kickback to Taib in return for obtaining timber and plantation licences, typically amounting to 10 per cent of the commercial value of the licence.

‘Najib must act against Taib’

G Vinod

 | March 19, 2013

Anwar Ibrahim and Lim Kit Siang want the prime minister to take action against the chief minister based on a recent expose.

KUALA LUMPUR: Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim has called on Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak to act against the Sarawak chief minister.

He said action must be taken against Taib Mahmud based on the recent video expose made by an international NGO, Global Witness.

The video showed Taib’s family and his cronies abusing logging licences to enrich themselves, at the expense of ordinary Sarawakians.

An undercover investigator, posing as an investor, went to Sarawak in the pretext of buying land to set up palm oil plantations and was directed to buy licences from those linked to Taib.

Anwar said that Najib cannot not afford to keep silent in view of the recent expose as the allegations and evidence shown in the video were strong.

“If Najib is one with calibre and principle, he must answer this,” stressed the opposition leader.

Echoing Anwar’s sentiments, DAP strongman Lim Kit Siang said Najib should act against the chief minister or risk the public thinking that Taib is more powerful than the prime minister himself.

“Let him explain this in his report card,” he said, referring to Najib’s State of the Union speech scheduled for tonight.