Yong: If guilty, I’ll shoot myself
The former Sabah chief minister, who is willing to put his life on the line, wants a white paper on the SAS fiasco so that the truth will be known.
(Free Malaysia Today) – Former Sabah chief minister Yong Teck Lee is prepared to pull the trigger on himself if he is found to be responsible for the Sabah Amanah Saham (SAS) scandal.
Citing the same example quoted by another former chief minister Harris Salleh that in China, a public official whose mistake resulted in housewives losing a massive RM300 million was sentenced to death by shooting, Yong said: “I’ll shoot myself (if the allegation against him is true).”
“But if it is shown that it is not me but others who were responsible for the SAS fiasco, then I only wish that the truth be known to all and justice be done.
“It is for this reason that SAPP and our elected representatives have been pressing for a white paper on the SAS fiasco and lodged several police reports on the same,” he added.
The SAPP president also wanted Harris to convince Chief Minister Musa Aman to publish a white paper on the incident to expose the true culprits behind the SAS fiasco.
According to him, this is the best way to find out the truth behind the RM300 million losses suffered by SAS’ investors allegedly due to the NBT/Warisan Harta composite shares swap.
“After all, Harris recently conferred on Musa the ‘best chief minister ever’ (title). If there is nothing to hide and if Yong is guilty as alleged by Harris and (Deputy Chief Minister) Dr Yee Moh Chai, then why has this government refused to publish a white paper?” he said.
Besides this, he also suggested that Harris read his own book published in 1996 before commenting further on the withdrawal of the Yayasan Sabah (YS) shares certificates.
He disputed Harris’ statement last Saturday that the Sabah Foundation shares were withdrawn by Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) administration in 1990 just prior to the state elections that year.
The Sabah Foundation shares were replaced by the Amanah Rakyat Negeri Sabah (ARNS).
Harris cannot deny knowledge
Yong contended that Harris cannot claim that he is not aware that it is not him (Yong) as chief minster from May 28, 1996 to May 27, 1998, but it was PBS, in 1990, who withdrew the YS shares.
“At the time, before the state elections of 1990, I was an assistant minister, not even a full minister,” he told reporters.
He further noted that ARNS was a new fund set up under the Amanah Rakyat Negeri Sabah Enactment 1990, passed by the legislative assembly on March 15, 1990 and assented to by the head of state on March 31, 1990.
It was this ARNS that disbursed the RM200 to each Sabah Foundation beneficiary using the YS management and network.
Yong also claimed that the accounts of the ARNS distribution of RM200 per head could not be audited.
He recalled that the Cabinet in 1997 (when he was CM) was informed that there were audit queries over missing monies and possible fraudulent payments to unqualified or non-existent persons.
He claimed to have asked the YS management to lodge police reports.
He reckoned that whatever the status of the ARNS and YS share certificates today, he trusts that the current administration can satisfy public curiosity.
“I can only answer for things done by me as chief minister,” he said.
