KUALA LUMPUR – The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has closed its investigation into a company linked to Datuk Seri Farhash Wafa Salvador, ruling out any wrongdoing in the controversial Sabah mineral exploration issue.
MACC Chief Commissioner Tan Sri Azam Baki said the Attorney General’s Chambers determined that no criminal charges could be brought against any individual.
“Our investigation was thorough. We recorded statements from all involved, including Sabah Mineral Management, the state government, and other relevant parties. In the end, the Deputy Public Prosecutor decided there were no offences under the MACC Act 2009 or the Penal Code, and no governance failures. The case is closed,” Azam told reporters in Putrajaya today.
He also dismissed reports of coal mining approvals in protected forest reserves in Kalabakan and Gunung Rara near the Kalimantan border.
According to Azam, only a conditional application for mineral exploration was submitted in March 2023 by Bumi Suria Sdn Bhd, a firm linked to Farhash, through Sabah Mineral Management Sdn Bhd (SMM).
“The company was required to provide certain documents before approval could be considered. Since it failed to comply, the application was cancelled on 28 March 2025,” he said, as reported by FMT.
In July, the Sabah Lands and Surveys Department had already denied issuing any prospecting licence to Bumi Suria under the Sabah Mining Ordinance 1960. Earlier claims suggested the firm had been awarded rights to explore 70,000 hectares of forest, but authorities have since dismissed this. – September 9, 2025