BY DANIEL JOHN JAMBUN, President Change Advocate Movement of Sabah (CAMOS)
KOTA KINABALU: Change Advocate Movement of Sabah (CAMOS) expresses serious concern and strong objection to the appointment of Datuk Dr Yusof Yakub as Chairman of Sabah Development Bank (SDB) by Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor while a corruption case involving him is still pending before the court.
CAMOS wishes to state clearly:
This is not a declaration of guilt.
This is a matter of governance, ethics, and public trust.
Sabah Development Bank is a state-owned financial institution entrusted with public funds and development financing critical to Sabah’s economy. Its leadership must be above suspicion, not merely technically compliant with the law.
Appointing an individual facing an unresolved corruption case to chair such an institution:
• gravely undermines public confidence
• exposes the bank to reputational and institutional risk
• sends a damaging signal to investors, regulators, and the public
• contradicts the basic principles of good governance and integrity
In any government that takes reform seriously, prudence and restraint would prevail. The standard practice is simple and well understood:
When legal proceedings are ongoing, public institutions must be protected from avoidable controversy.
CAMOS rejects the dangerous mindset that political appointments should proceed as long as no conviction has been recorded. Public leadership carries a higher ethical burden than private employment. The issue here is not legality alone, but judgment, responsibility, and credibility.
Sabah has already paid a heavy price for decades of weak institutions, politically motivated appointments, and tolerance of ethical grey zones. Continuing this pattern only reinforces the public perception that reform rhetoric is not matched by action.
If the Sabah government is genuinely committed to clean governance, institutional reform, and restoring public trust, this appointment must be reviewed immediately.
State financial institutions must be shielded from reputational harm.
Leadership positions must meet the highest standards of integrity, not the lowest acceptable threshold.
Sabah deserves institutions that inspire confidence — not controversy.
