Arifin Arif, the state’s science, technology and innovation minister, now plans to drag those who slandered him to court, Sabah Media, a Kota Kinabalu-based portal reported.

According to Arifin, the news report contained baseless claims and was slanderous in nature.

Speaking to reporters after lodging a police report, he claimed that the said portal, which was not identified, did not contact him to get his comments.

“So I will take legal action against this group which slandered me and which is in cahoots with the cartel in an attempt to monopolise mining licences in Sabah.”

In December, videos linking several Sabah assemblymen to an alleged mining scandal were leaked by a purported whistleblower.

Sources later told FMT that these videos were part of a plot to topple the state’s ruling coalition, Gabungan Rakyat Sabah.

Last month, Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission chief commissioner Azam Baki said the anti-graft agency had completed its probe into the purported whistleblower and a former CEO of a company linked to the alleged scandal.