- Wartawan Nabalu News
Was Sabah Foundation consulted before being named NCA local implementor? - Adrian Lasimbang
5 March 2022
By Wartawan Nabalu News
KOTA KINABALU: Former senator Adrian Lasimbang has queried whether Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Dr. Jeffrey Kitingan has consulted Sabah Foundation before naming it the local implementor of the Nature Conservative Agreement (NCA).
Yesterday, Jeffrey said the state Cabinet endorsed the decision last Wednesday for Sabah Foundation to work closely with Singapore-based firm Hoch Standard Pte Ltd over the controversial carbon trading deal.
He disclosed that Sabah Foundation will sign a separate service agreement with Hoch Standard where the firm is expected to pay Sabah Foundation five per cent of its gross revenue from the NCA for the Sabah Foundation’s activities related to the NCA.
Meanwhile, it was reported that Hoch Standard will be paid some 30 per cent of earnings from the carbon deal.
However, Adrian who is also the President of Pertubuhan Suara Anak Sabah said he was made to understand that the state body was not consulted on the matter.
“Was Sabah Foundation even consulted before Jeffrey made this announcement? I was made to understand that Sabah Foundation has not been consulted about this before Jeffrey made the ‘unilateral’ announcement about its role in the NCA,” he said in response to Jeffrey’s announcement as reported by local media.
“Sabah Foundation already has the largest forest-based carbon financing project in Malaysia since the 1990s … This shows how desperate those who want to secure their retirement plan are,” he added.
According to Adrian, Jeffrey’s action has breached any protocol of proper due diligence as he has acted against the interest of the Sabah people.
Jeffrey was quoted as saying Hoch Standard will assist Sabah Foundation in this new role by providing the necessary technology and know-how to ensure the implementation of the NCA will be done accordingly.
Adrian asserted that Jeffrey’s statement was an insult to the intelligence of many who work on forest conservation.
Recently, Jeffrey was slammed for misleading the public when he said that the carbon trading deal would be completely transparent but failed to spell out everything that’s involved in the deal.
