![[UPDATED] Farhash denies link to Sabah coal licence report, demands apology](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.nst.com.my%2Fimages%2Farticles%2Ffarashwadf_1753090384.jpg&w=3840&q=100)
[UPDATED] Farhash denies link to Sabah coal licence report, demands apology
The former political aide to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is also demanding a full public apology from the news portal responsible for the publication.
Earlier, an article published by MalaysiaNow claimed that a company owned by Farhash had secured a mineral exploration licence in Sabah from Sabah Mineral Management Sdn Bhd (SMM) for an area three times the size of Kuala Lumpur.
In a cease and desist letter by his lawyers to MalaysiaNow, Farhash described the article, which claimed he owned Bumi Suria Sdn Bhd and that the company had secured a licence from a Sabah government agency, as "false and defamatory".
His lawyers clarified that Farhash is merely a director and shareholder of Bumi Suria, and not its owner.
"Our client categorically denies the truth of these assertions. Neither our client nor Bumi Suria has ever been awarded any mineral prospecting or exploration licence in Sabah.
"These false and misleading statements have seriously damaged our client's reputation, exposed him to unnecessary public scrutiny, and wrongly implied involvement in improper or politically influenced business dealings," the letter said.
The firm further said that the publication had failed to verify its claims with either Farhash or the relevant authorities before publishing the article, which it said breached fundamental journalistic standards.
As such, the legal team has demanded that MalaysiaNow:
1. Cease and desist from further publication or dissemination of the article.
2. Remove the article from all platforms, including its website and social media channels.
3. Issue a full and unequivocal public retraction and apology to be prominently published within 48 hours.
4. Provide written confirmation of compliance within the same timeframe.
The letter said that failure to comply would result in legal proceedings being initiated against the portal and any individuals responsible.
It was reported earlier that Farhash had also lodged a police report over the matter at the police headquarters in Bukit Aman.
He urged police to investigate the article under Section 499 of the Penal Code for criminal defamation and/or Section 211 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998.
SMM chief executive officer Natasha Sim vehemently denied the claims, saying the government-linked company does not have the authority to issue or award such licences.
"SMM is not a licence-awarding body nor do we have jurisdiction to award or issue licences.
"No company with the name of Bumi Suria Sdn Bhd has ever been issued or awarded any prospecting licence by the state government as of today," she told the New Straits Times.
Since last year, Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor and other cabinet ministers had repetitively said that the state government had yet to issue any licence to anyone.
Hajiji also said that when it comes to issuing mining licences, the state government will discuss matters such as equity, royalties, fees, and leases in cabinet meetings before reaching a decision.
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