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LABUAN: The State Government’s investment arm Invest Sabah Bhd has a lot of explaining to do pertaining to a rash of allegations ranging from misuse of funds to abuse of power involving top ranking officials, activist Lau Seng Kiat said.

“These allegations, including in Tik Tok cannot be taken lightly in view of the Government Linked Company having been allocated RM25 million in tax payers’ money over five years but with nothing to show. 

“Top officials were said to be jet-setting,” he said.

“In fact, none of the RM20 billion or more investments Sabah gained following the takeover by the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah State Government since 2020 were  due to Invest Sabah but Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor and former State Industrial Development Minister Datuk Ginger Phoong,” he said.

Lau said an investigations into the way that Invest Sabah is run is necessary in the light of recent concerns voiced in the State Assembly involving GLCs and the veracity or falsehood of the following claims must be established:

• That a top official with zero corporate background or experience was engaged for a key post due to close family ties with a politician. This person then allegedly demanded that his salary match the person he replaced and also allegedly demanded before the recent Sabah election that the contract be extended for another five years.
• The Board wanted this official replaced but a higher management official  allegedly intervened.
• That this  official demanded to sit on the Board and receive whatever the Board members get as incentives despite this being a conflict of interest.
• That this official also allegedly forced the Board to hire a “close friend” for a certain position and then allegedly got the Board to increase her salary to RM10,000.
• This “friend” was then confirmed in that post as a permanent staff, then promoted to head a department, and the appraisal marks were allegedly tampered even though this person did not meet the KPI and allegedly outsources work.
• The company driver is ordered to allegedly pick up her up from her house and send her back after work, as well as pick up her kids and run private errands
• Certain vendors benefitted without senior management committee approval nor following the proper procurement process.
• The official hired a person who only had SPM equivalent but put him on RM11,000 pay as a political favour.
• The  official allegedly claimed reimbursement for flight tickets for attending a wedding in Tawau connected to the female staff while claiming that he was on official duty.
• A retired staff was allegedly rehired at a salary of RM14,000 per month despite not turning up for work most of the time

Lau said although much of what that is put on social media may be exaggerated, certainly, there “cannot be smoke without any fire”.

He praised the State Government for finally taking the abuses happening in GLCs seriously.

“In the case of Invest Sabah, there are clear grounds to close it without even having to wait for another five years. As it is it had not made money at all and RM25m of tax payers money is gone.”