By Ree Rahim Ahmad, Coordinator, Change Advocate Movement Sabah (CAMOS) – Keningau
KOTA KINABALU — The Change Advocate Movement Sabah (CAMOS) Keningau Coordinator, Ree Rahim Ahmad, today slammed Parti Gagasan Rakyat Sabah (PGRS) information chief Nizam Abu Bakar Titingan for what he called “a laughable attempt to turn a scandal into a success story” in defending caretaker Chief Minister Hajiji Noor over the state’s mining licence controversy.
“Nizam’s narrative sounds more like political theatre than truth. Let’s be clear — those mining licences were approved under Hajiji’s own administration. You cannot claim to be the saviour of Sabah’s resources when the scandal began on your watch,” Ree Rahim said.
He added that revoking the 20 prospecting licences only after the issue was exposed does not make the Chief Minister a hero. “That’s not leadership — that’s damage control. The people of Sabah deserve transparency, not cover stories to protect political interests.”
Ree Rahim said if Hajiji was truly safeguarding Sabah’s wealth, the public should be shown who benefitted from the initial approvals, how the licences were issued, and whether there were conflicts of interest involving government insiders.
“Sabahans are tired of politicians who talk about defending our resources but remain silent when those close to power are implicated. Protecting Sabah means accountability from day one, not after being caught,” he stressed.
He urged both the state and federal authorities to conduct a full, independent investigation into the mining licence scandal and to publish all relevant documents for public scrutiny.
“Only full transparency will restore public confidence. Anything less is just political spin at the expense of Sabah’s integrity,” Ree Rahim concluded.
