KOTA KINABALU: Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor has urged individuals to abide by the rules and not act like gangsters when requesting information about Sabah Mineral Management.
"I would like to state here that despite my agreement last night to provide information about SMM, we have our regulations.
"If any assemblyman wishes to obtain information from SMM, they should write a letter specifying what is required, such as details about companies or other matters.
"We need to follow the rules—do not storm into offices like gangsters and demand what you want," he said during the state legislative assembly sitting here.
This statement came after Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal's (Warisan-Senallang) statement claiming that SMM chief executive officer Natasha Sim had failed to provide the requested documents to his lawyer earlier.
Meanwhile, at a press conference, Mohd Shafie said they would file an official letter to request the information.
"We are not making accusations; we just want to ask simple questions about the list of companies awarded prospecting licences, their owners, and the exploration areas involved," he said.
Hajiji has previously dismissed allegations of power abuse in the issuance of mineral exploration licenses in the state.
He said reports on mining issues are aimed at tarnishing the state's reputation.