Sabah Mineral refutes allegations linked to viral jet photo
In a statement today, the state-owned company clarified that the image, taken during an official working visit, had been misrepresented in reports tying it to questionable dealings with a foreign mining conglomerate.
SMM said the first visit to the Indonesia-based conglomerate in March 2023 was part of a due diligence exercise initiated by former chief executive officer Jontih Enggihon.
The trip aimed to explore potential collaboration. In December that year, Jontih formally recommended the partnership to the board of directors, citing the Indonesian company's industry practices.
The board gave its approval in February 2024 and appointed Sim, who was then chief strategy officer, as lead liaison to facilitate discussions on foreign direct investment.
The August 2024 trip, during which the viral photo was taken, was part of this engagement.
SMM emphasised that in December 2024, both Sim and Chong had cooperated fully with the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission, submitting detailed statements and documents related to the work trip.
An internal inquiry that concluded in February this year found no wrongdoing and confirmed there was no conflict of interest, personal gain or undue influence.
"The negative insinuations of wrongdoing made in these media reports are entirely false, misleading and defamatory.
"SMM unequivocally denies that any wrongdoing occurred," the statement said.
The company stressed that it was not a licensing authority and that the chief executive officer had no legal or administrative power to grant or approve licences.
SMM claimed that the sudden re-emergence of the issue could be politically motivated, as it coincided with ongoing legal proceedings involving Jontih and businessman Albert Tei.
The duo are being sued for alleged fraud, breach of fiduciary duty, tampering with official documents and conspiracy to injure.
"The current wave of public allegations appears to recycle issues already under judicial scrutiny and may be part of a broader campaign to damage the company and its officers."
SMM urged the media, politicians and the public to verify facts before repeating potentially defamatory claims.
SMM warned that it would not hesitate to take legal action against any party, including media outlets, public figures or individuals, who continue to circulate baseless accusations.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Malay Mail
39 minutes ago
- Malay Mail
AirAsia to launch KL and Kuching-Pontianak direct flights to boost Malaysia-Indonesia travel from Sept 12
KUALA LUMPUR, July 26 — AirAsia Malaysia has launched two new direct routes connecting Kuala Lumpur and Kuching to Pontianak, the capital city of West Kalimantan, Indonesia, with AirAsia as the only airline operating international flights to the city starting Sept 12, 2025. In a statement, the company said the expansion follows AirAsia's rapid growth in Indonesia, including the recent launch of the Kuala Lumpur-Palembang route in July and the upcoming Kuala Lumpur-Semarang service in September. 'With the introduction of Pontianak, AirAsia Malaysia will operate to a total of 17 destinations in Indonesia through 223 weekly flights between the two countries, solidifying its position as the airline with the widest network serving Indonesia,' it said. The launch of these new routes strengthens regional connectivity and supports both governments' targets, including Malaysia's goal of attracting 4.3 million Indonesian tourists in 2025 and Sarawak's target of five million visitor arrivals by year-end. It also aims to contribute to Indonesia's national target of 16 million international arrivals, with Malaysia remaining one of its top source markets, it said. The new routes were unveiled during the Sarawak Travel Fair, organised by the Sarawak Tourism Board in Pontianak, and officially launched by West Kalimantan Governor Drs Ria Norsan. He said the new direct routes will not only facilitate easier access for travellers but also bolster trade, investment and tourism flows. 'West Kalimantan stands ready to welcome more Malaysian visitors while providing convenient access for Indonesians seeking business opportunities, leisure travel and medical services in Sarawak and Kuala Lumpur,' he said. Consulate of Malaysia in Pontianak, Consul Azizul Zekri Abd Rahim said the new connectivity marks a pivotal moment in fostering stronger bilateral ties between Malaysia and Indonesia, particularly West Kalimantan. 'With Visit Malaysia 2026 on the horizon, this expansion comes at the perfect moment to further boost tourism, foster cultural exchange and enhance regional ties between both nations,' he said. AirAsia Malaysia chief executive officer Datuk Captain Fareh Mazputra said the strong demand for travel between Malaysia and West Kalimantan had driven the company to enhance connectivity, making it easier and more affordable for people to travel for business, tourism and medical purposes. 'By launching flights from our main hub in Kuala Lumpur and Kuching, we are providing greater convenience and flexibility for our guests while contributing to the tourism growth and economic development of both Malaysia and Indonesia,' he added. — Bernama
The Sun
40 minutes ago
- The Sun
AirAsia launches KL, Kuching–Pontianak direct flights from Sept 12
KUALA LUMPUR: AirAsia Malaysia has introduced two new direct routes linking Kuala Lumpur and Kuching to Pontianak, the capital of West Kalimantan, Indonesia. The flights, set to commence on September 12, 2025, will make AirAsia the sole airline operating international flights to the city. The expansion follows AirAsia's rapid growth in Indonesia, including recent launches of the Kuala Lumpur–Palembang route in July and the upcoming Kuala Lumpur–Semarang service in September. 'With the introduction of Pontianak, AirAsia Malaysia will operate to a total of 17 destinations in Indonesia through 223 weekly flights between the two countries, solidifying its position as the airline with the widest network serving Indonesia,' the company stated. These new routes aim to enhance regional connectivity and support tourism targets, including Malaysia's goal of attracting 4.3 million Indonesian tourists in 2025 and Sarawak's target of five million visitor arrivals by year-end. Additionally, the expansion aligns with Indonesia's national target of 16 million international arrivals, with Malaysia remaining a key source market. The routes were unveiled during the Sarawak Travel Fair in Pontianak, officially launched by West Kalimantan Governor Drs Ria Norsan. He highlighted the benefits of the new flights, stating, 'West Kalimantan stands ready to welcome more Malaysian visitors while providing convenient access for Indonesians seeking business opportunities, leisure travel and medical services in Sarawak and Kuala Lumpur.' Malaysia's Consul in Pontianak, Azizul Zekri Abd Rahim, emphasised the significance of the new connectivity in strengthening bilateral ties. 'With Visit Malaysia 2026 on the horizon, this expansion comes at the perfect moment to further boost tourism, foster cultural exchange and enhance regional ties between both nations,' he said. AirAsia Malaysia CEO Datuk Captain Fareh Mazputra noted the strong demand for travel between Malaysia and West Kalimantan as a key driver for the expansion. 'By launching flights from our main hub in Kuala Lumpur and Kuching, we are providing greater convenience and flexibility for our guests while contributing to the tourism growth and economic development of both Malaysia and Indonesia,' he added. - Bernama
The Star
2 hours ago
- The Star
Singapore's Tipsy Collective sues former directors, HR head; alleges S$14mil lost from misconduct, poor decisions
SINGAPORE: The legal battle over control of home-grown hospitality group Tipsy Collective has taken another turn. The company – now led by its majority shareholders, who gained control after a boardroom shake-up in 2024 – has filed a lawsuit against its former leadership, seeking to recover more than S$14 million in losses and damages from a string of alleged wrongful payments, mismanagement and unauthorised deletions of company records. In its statement of claim filed on June 12, the plaintiffs – Tipsy Collective and three of its subsidiaries (Tipsy Bird, Social Room Concepts and Tipsy Collective Singapore) – are alleging breaches of fiduciary and contractual duties by three former directors, David Gan Jia Liang, Derek Ong and Reuben Low Kok Cherng, and former human resources manager Avril Lim Qian Jun. Gan, who was the former chief executive of the group, founded Tipsy Collective with Ong in 2019. Following internal disputes, the bloc of investors and shareholders who oppose Gan has increased its collective stake from 59.39 per cent to 97.3 per cent, according to the latest shareholder records from the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority. Gan currently owns 1.66 per cent of the company's shares, and Low holds 1.03 per cent. As Ong died in August 2023, his wife, Melody Huang Bao'er, who is the administrator of his estate, was named as the second defendant in the lawsuit. This new lawsuit follows an earlier court battle reported by The Straits Times in September 2024, in which Gan had sued eight parties – including investors and shareholders – claiming they had breached a shareholders' agreement and tried to unlawfully seize control of the company. The defendants – Indonesian investors Reino Ramaputra Barack and Santosa Kadiman, Singaporean Rudy Hartono Widjaja and four shareholder entities – rejected Gan's claims. Instead, they pointed to alleged financial mismanagement under his leadership. They cited mounting debts and lack of financial transparency, and questioned the $6 million spent developing Tipsy Unicorn beach club in Sentosa. They claimed Gan had caused the company to take out $8.7 million in loans, of which $6 million remained outstanding, and that the company owed $5.2 million to suppliers and nearly $1 million to Sentosa Development Corporation. Gan failed to get an interim injunction to retain control of the company's board and subsequently lost his lawsuit against the investors and shareholders. On Nov 6, 2024, the board terminated his role as chief executive and removed Low as director. On the same day, Barack was appointed the chairman of the board of directors of Tipsy Collective. Gan resigned from the board on Nov 15, 2024, while Lim's last day with the company was Nov 17 of the same year. By December 2024, the financial toll of the leadership struggle had affected ground operations. More than 100 employees had faced delays in salary payments since October 2024. The company managed to settle overdue Central Provident Fund contributions and salaries only after four shareholders injected emergency funding. The group, which once operated 13 outlets, has since scaled down. At least four outlets have been shut since October 2024, and it is now left with five outlets. Now, led by its new management, Tipsy Collective is turning the tables on its former leadership with this latest suit. The first set of allegations involves unauthorised payments made. The plaintiffs allege that Gan and Ong caused the companies to transfer more than $4.2 million to themselves and Low, or between entities, without justification. These included $1.49 million in payments, made in December 2020, and $2.8 million disbursed between June 2020 and May 2024. The suit alleged that the payments had no commercial justification and brought no benefit to the companies, and that the three former directors failed to recover the funds, causing significant losses to the group. The lawsuit also cited a string of poor business decisions that allegedly harmed the group financially. The development of Tipsy Unicorn – a 19,000 sq ft beach club on Sentosa's Siloso Beach that opened in September 2023 – is at the centre of these claims. The construction cost of the project ballooned from $4 million to more than $6.1 million due to lack of due diligence and planning. Court documents also noted that the claimants did not have sufficient resources to undertake the construction of Tipsy Unicorn. Despite the fact that Tipsy Collective was 'in financial difficulties and needed monies from shareholders to sustain its operations', Gan and Ong allegedly continued to undertake more projects, the court documents noted. Another alleged mishap flagged in court documents was the group's investment in Tipsy Flamingo Malaysia. The plaintiffs claimed the venture led to a loss of more than $1.3 million. The renewal of leases for underperforming outlets, such as Tipsy Penguin, Tipsy Bunny and Tipsy Flamingo, was also highlighted. These new leases apparently involved higher rents and service charges, further straining the group's finances. The lawsuit further accused Gan and Lim of destroying and withholding company records. Gan allegedly deleted more than 4,000 files from the company's Google Drive and continued accessing company systems without authorisation after his departure. Lim is alleged to have erased nearly 5,000 files and formatted her company-issued laptop, erasing all stored data. Both of them are being held liable for damages linked to the data loss, with the plaintiffs also seeking an injunction to prevent Gan from using any confidential company information that may have been retained. Separately, the Ministry of Law's website showed Gan was declared bankrupt on June 19, in proceedings separate from the civil suit. - The Straits Times/ANN
