KOTA KINABALU (Sept 16): Former chief minister Tan Sri Musa Aman (pictured) broke his silence today by asking Warisan president Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal to stop spreading lies and vendetta against him during this state election.

According to Musa, since he is not standing in the Sept 26 state election, he is therefore no longer a threat to Mohd Shafie.

“We see countless videos and billboards of Shafie promoting slogans on ‘building a nation’, ‘we are here to build a nation, not a particular race or religion’ and ‘unite we must’, yet his campaign speeches are preoccupied with ‘Go after Musa Aman!’ 

“While I understand his need to make rousing political speeches on his campaign trail, to repeatedly tell blatant lies is shameful and unbecoming of a state leader, let alone by someone who has ambitions of becoming the Prime Minister,” he said in a statement here tonight.

Musa said he was already suing Yayasan Sabah including Mohd Shafie RM1 billion for defamation.

“Since he has not stopped with his lies and is challenging me, I have no choice but to seek legal recourse,” he said.

Musa said he was compelled to issue the statement to set the record straight and clear his name against accusations hurled by Mohd Shafie.

“As of late, he has been making unfounded and slanderous allegations against me, accusing me of approving Yayasan Sabah contracts to a few selected individuals. I vehemently deny committing any of these malicious and unfounded allegations made in attempt to tarnish my reputation and fulfil a sinister agenda,” he said.

Initially, Musa said Mohd Shafie accused him of being involved in the 600,000 to 700,000 hectares of Yayasan Sabah lands that have allegedly gone missing and that he had approved thousands of acres of land to a few selected individuals.

“As Chairman of the Yayasan Sabah Board of Trustees, Shafie should know that concession land areas held by Yayasan Sabah are all under one licence and it is impossible for such areas to go missing or given to any third party,” he said.

Musa said the land under Yayasan Sabah is protected by Yayasan Sabah Enactment,1966, and held in perpetuity and could only be taken out for  government use and for conservation purposes such as Danum Valley, Imbak Canyon, Maliau Basin, Nurod-Urod Forest Reserve, Sapulot and so on.

Musa said only 250,000 hectares of Yayasan Sabah had been licensed under Forest Rules.

“Hence, clearly Shafie has been lying through his teeth because the 700,000 hectares of Yayasan Sabah land is still there and not missing as claimed.

“Dissatisfied and unrelenting in his mission to continuously tarnish my name, Shafie now accuses me of approving Yayasan Sabah licensee contracts to manage and develop the Yayasan Sabah’s land to the same individuals.

“Again as Chairman of the Yayasan Sabah Board of Trustees, he knows this is not the procedure on approving such contracts. It is not approved by the Chief Minister but by the Yayasan Sabah Board of Trustees,” he said.

The former chief minister said it was also disturbing that Mohd Shafie and his supporters targeted a certain community, playing the race card, very much in conflict with what he preached about race and religion.

“My advise to Shafie is instead of focusing so much on me, he should tell the people why Warisan should lead  Sabah and why he should be the chosen one to helm the government,” he said.

“As a leader, you should focus on what you have achieved and what more you can offer to the people. Improving the infrastructure, the economy, providing jobs and business opportunities and putting food on the table should be on your agenda.

“Constantly attacking ‘Musa Aman’ will not help Shafie and Warisan achieve this agenda,” he added.