They want to frame me, says Taib
A video detailing the inner workings of a land deal along with ways to circumvent government policies has riled Chief Minister Taib Mahmud.
KUCHING: Against mounting speculations of a bid to oust him, a visibly angry Sarawak Chief Minister Taib Mahmud has dismissed as “naughty” a 16-minute covertly recorded documentary which included interviews with his estranged cousins – the Rahman sisters – and lawyers over a land deal.
Even as one of the lawyers in the video vehemently denied volunteering information, claiming that he was “trapped”, Taib said the secret video was an attempt to “frame” him and that the “evidence” was subjective.
“You look at that . I think it is a bit naughty of them to use their big power to blacken my name.
“They want to create something … [then] create something more credible. They are trying to frame people like me with evidence from [just] anybody… with evidence that can be interpreted [either way]… even you can say [to someone] ‘you come [with me] I go [to] see chief minister but is it me [asking] or something … ” Taib said in response to London-based NGO Global Witness’ incriminating video, excerpts of which were aired over Al Jazeera on Monday.
In the video documentary, Global Witness posed as a foreign investor seeking to buy land for oil palm plantations in Sarawak.
The ensuing interviews, caught by a hidden camera, detailed how the sale process would be handled, how the natives will be dealt with, taxes avoided and how “personal kickbacks” would allegedly be paid to Taib.
But Taib has questioned the authenticity of the video and allegations that he had intermediaries working for him.
Said Taib: “Back in the 1980s, I was in charge of forestry… I made a public declaration and I said nobody is my intermediary because I don’t believe in deals. Everything got to be done according to government procedure.”
Asked if the video evidence was proof of corruption, Taib retorted: “OK. If that’s what is so-called proof.
“[But] could it not be someone trying to promote themselves to become an agent to get favours from me? [In which case] it has nothing to do with me, right?”
‘Easy’ access to Taib
Neither admitting nor denying the allegations in the video, Taib continued to say that he had estranged ties with his uncle, former Sarawak chief minister Rahman Yakub, and his cousins.
In the tape, Rahman’s daughters allegedly claimed they had “easy” access to Taib and that all land transactions were legitimate as it came via directives from the Chief Minister himself.
When asked about the women, Taib spewed: “Do you know that cousin?
“Did you find out what was the relationship between their father and me… is it friendly or not?
“We were fighting at one time. [Surely] that cousin cannot be my most trusted… but it’s up to you.”
Taib was referring to the 1987 attempt to oust him by Rahman. The bid was branded as the Ming Court Affair. Two years earlier, Taib had removed Rahman from the position of governor of Sarawak – which incidentally he gave Rahman – following a fissure between uncle and nephew over Rahman’s “influence” over state matters such as land development permits, government contracts and timber licences.
With Rahman out of the way, Taib has lorded over Sarawak and its vast lands since. Much of Sarawak’s rainforest has allegedly been deforested under the pretext of development, largely displacing the indigenous communities.
