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Lasimbang challenges Kitingan to sue him to clear air over NCA deal

KOTA KINABALU: Former senator Adrian Lasimbang has challenged Sabah Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Seri Dr Jeffrey Kitingan to sue him for exposing the controversial Nature Conservation Agreement (NCA) deal to Al Jazeera.

Lasimbang who had quit Sabah DAP last month said he had anticipated that Kitingan will take the legal action as the latter had indicated in a statement yesterday.

"I took note and anticipate this reaction. He (Jeffrey) can sue me so I can provide him with the opportunity to expose all the necessary evidence to prove that the NCA deal is not a 'scam' to the court and the public can be informed.

"It is in public interest he should sue me so that he can clear the air about this controversial and secretive deal," said Lasimbang who is now president of Pertubuhan Suara Anak Sabah.

He said Kitingan has been going around making announcements about the NCA without any details on how the deal was going to be managed.

And keeps plucking figures from the air and announcing billions of possible revenue without providing details on how he came up with such numbers, he added.

"I have acquired a court order to be able to have access to documents regarding this deal.

"I can confirm that the leaked documents that went viral on the internet several months ago are legitimate," Lasimbang claimed.

In the currently signed documents between Sabah state officials and HOCH Standard Ptd Ltd, there was no map to specify the area covered under this deal, he said.

"So how or on what basis were the calculations of the revenue made? Did he conduct any consultation with our conservation agencies on how much it will cost to maintain the carbon in these areas?" he asked.

With this action, Kitingan has gravely misled the public, the State Assembly and even the State Cabinet, he said.

Lasimbang said the people of Sabah deserve to know why he continues to defend the USD1,000 Singapore company, HOCH Standard.

"Why this company deserves a 30 per cent broker fee, why this company can withhold money that belongs to the state, why no due diligence was done, why not a single mention of indigenous peoples rights in the agreement," he said.

"I think Kitingan should focus on executing his duties as Agriculture and Fisheries Minister by helping our farmers who face many issues including the rising price of fertilisers and pesticides.

"I have met many paddy farmers complaining about irrigation, and lack of agriculture machinery in Keningau and Tambunan, his constituency. Why not just cancel the deal and focus on his duty as a minister," said Lasimbang.

Yesterday, Kitingan said he was considering taking legal action against Al-Jazeera and Lasimbang and others who are actively disseminating false information to the public, particularly those who are allegedly defaming his name.

He claimed lAl Jazeera's article "Very hush-hush: Borneo's $80bn carbon deal stokes controversy" on Feb 2, 2022, was distorted and irresponsible because it was written entirely in the words of a 'whistleblower'.

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