He said the state government set up Sabah Mineral Management Sdn Bhd to oversee all mineral resources, and that all licence approvals were subject to a legitimate and transparent process.
Addressing the recent mining scandal, Hajiji said the licensing application process was equipped to detect any attempt at manipulation, with safeguards in place to flag irregular practices.
“We identified numerous irregularities during the submission of prospecting licence applications,” he told FMT in an exclusive interview.
Hajiji said there were cases where applicants, working in collusion with senior government officials, used up to 10 different companies to secure licences.
One particular individual from West Malaysia had attempted to exploit the system, he said.
“He came here acting like he knew everything, and wanted to take advantage of us. That is not something we will allow.”
Rigorous SOPs, political attacks
Hajiji said all licence applications were vetted by a committee he chaired, which included the state secretary, the state attorney-general, the director of lands and surveys, and other relevant officers.
“If an application was improperly submitted, we would reject it.”
He said certain quarters had sought to politicise the state government’s decision to reject “unreasonable” applications in an attempt to topple his administration.
“Various allegations were hurled, including that some were on the take,” he said, adding that many of the claims made were malicious and untrue.
Hajiji said much of the criticism levelled at his administration stemmed from prospecting licences that had already expired and therefore lapsed automatically.
He also chastised the denials made by those implicated in the scandal. “In court, they denied responsibility (for paying bribes). If so, which ghost paid them out?”
Hajiji said that the public now understood the true motives behind the cartel’s narrative against his administration.
He said the state government’s priority was to ensure that Sabah’s minerals were protected from being exploited by those with vested interests.
“As a chief minister, I cannot allow this (manipulation) to happen. If I spot something that isn’t right, I won’t approve (the licence).
“My determination to eradicate these cartels isn’t political. It stems from my sense of duty towards the interests of the state and her people.”