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Daily Express
a day ago
- Business
- Daily Express
Warisan rep disputes the RM1 billion bond repayment
Published on: Saturday, August 16, 2025 Published on: Sat, Aug 16, 2025 Text Size: 'This shortfall was due to weak fiscal discipline before Warisan formed the government,' said Sarifuddin, accusing the minister of 'cherry-picking' records. Kota Kinabalu: Former Sabah assistant finance minister Sarifuddin Hata disputed State Finance Minister Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun's version of the repayment of a RM1 billion State bond. He claimed that when Warisan took over in 2018, a year before the bond matured, the Bond Repayment Fund contained only about RM400 million or RM600 million short of what should have been saved under the previous RM200 million-a-year plan. 'This shortfall was due to weak fiscal discipline before Warisan formed the government,' said Sarifuddin, accusing the minister of 'cherry-picking' records. The Warisan Merotai Assemblyman said budget tabling did not mean allocations were actually deposited, and official records, undisclosed to the public, confirmed the 2018 balance was far below the target. He argued that if repayment was 'fully guaranteed' as claimed, there would have been no need for Warisan to urgently top up the fund. 'Warisan raised the amount to RM1 billion in under 12 months, while also covering interest that pushed the total repayment above RM1 billion , without taking new loans, cutting development, or burdening the public. 'This was not a routine matter but an effort to save Sabah's finances, protect its credit rating and credibility,' he said. Sarifuddin also claimed that Warisan implemented the sales tax on petroleum products in April 2020, gazetted under its administration. 'GRS was only able to claim the revenue because the first payment was received after they took over. The policy, groundwork and legal framework were entirely Warisan's,' he claimed and demanded transparency on how the bond proceeds were spent. * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
Daily Express
04-06-2025
- Health
- Daily Express
Explain failure to activate chemical spill alert at gold mining: Warisan
Published on: Wednesday, June 04, 2025 Published on: Wed, Jun 04, 2025 Text Size: Sarifuddin urged the State Government to immediately halt all gold mining operations at the site pending a new Environmental Impact Assessment and to disclose the full list of toxic substances involved. Kota Kinabalu: Parti Warisan urged the State Government to explain its failure to activate emergency alerts after a dangerous chemical spill at a gold mining operation in Bukit Mantri, where sodium cyanide contamination was documented in a viral video. Video footage shows a breached containment pond leaking wastewater suspected to contain toxic cyanide compounds into the surrounding ecosystem. Despite the clear danger to nearby worker housing and downstream villages, no official warnings were issued to prevent use of potentially poisoned water sources. 'This failure of early warning systems and public safety measures is unacceptable,' said Merotai Assemblyman cum Kalabakan Warisan Chief Sarifuddin Hata, in a statement, here. 'Where is the emergency protocol? Why were not families warned not to use river water for drinking or bathing? This is not just about regulatory failure but a blatant disregard for human lives,' he said. He urged the State Government to immediately halt all gold mining operations at the site pending a new Environmental Impact Assessment and to disclose the full list of toxic substances involved. He also called for emergency safety protocols to alert and protect nearby residents. 'Environmental accidents can happen but silence and inaction in the face of a toxic spill is inexcusable. 'Gold is not worth more than the health of our people,' he said. * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
Daily Express
03-06-2025
- Daily Express
Halt gold mine ops pending new Environmental Impact Assessment
Published on: Monday, June 02, 2025 Published on: Mon, Jun 02, 2025 Text Size: Sarifuddin (left) and the collapsed embankment of a retention pond at the gold mine caused waste water including sodium cyanide to overflow into a nearby river. TAWAU: Merotai assemblyman Sarifuddin Hata urged the State Government to immediately halt the operations of Wullersdorf Resources Sdn Bhd (WRSB)'s gold mining activities until a new Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report is released. This call follows a recent incident involving a suspected toxic spill of sodium cyanide-contaminated water from a retention pond, which overflowed into nearby worker quarters—a situation captured in a 1-minute 20-second video that went viral. Sarifuddin described the collapse of the pond's embankment as a serious incident that threatens the health and safety of nearby communities and raises concerns about the environmental impact on surrounding flora and fauna. 'We've been informed that this is not the first time such a breach has occurred at the gold mining site. The issue only came to light recently due to the viral video,' he told Daily Express. Subscribe or LOG IN to access this article. Support Independant Journalism Subscribe to Daily Express Malaysia Access to DE E-Paper Access to DE E-Paper Exclusive News Exclusive News Invites to special events Invites to special events Giveaways & Rewards 1-Year Most Popular (Income Tax Deductible) Explore Plans Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
