Innocent until proven guilty

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Chief Minister cautions against hasty judgment, says state to continue to fight illegal logging

Adenan (centre) chats with Ivanovich (second right) as Hiew King (left), Jamilah (on Adenan’s left) and others look on.

SIBU: Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Adenan Satem calls on the public not to presume those whose accounts were frozen by Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) under ‘Ops Gergaji’ are guilty of corruption and illegal logging.

Adenan said he was not condoning yet the move by MACC to freeze the accounts worth RM560 million under the operation to eradicate corruption and tax evasion through illegal logging activities as the people under investigation had not been proven guilty.

“This is serious business. I mean what I say. Everyone is presumed innocent until proven guilty. Don’t let us rush into some hasty conclusions,” he stressed yesterday.

However, he added that the operation carried out by MACC showed that he meant business in the fight against illegal logging activities in the state.

Ops Gergaji on Tuesday involved 400 law enforcers from Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak, during which they raided 48 premises. A total of 375 company or individual accounts with a total amount of RM560 million were frozen and more than 500 logs were confiscated in the process.

MACC collaborated with the state government, the police, General Operations Force, state Forestry Department and Inland Revenue Board for the operation.

Out of the 48 premises raided, 27 were sawmills and log ponds while the rest were business premises located in six districts. Thirteen premises are in Miri, 12 (Kuching), 12 (Sibu), 6 (Bintulu), 3 (Bakun) and 2 (Kapit).

Earlier Adenan said he would discuss with State Cabinet members to see if Sarawak could be the next state to exempt the public from paying GST on local government services.

He told reporters this when asked if the state would follow the move by Johor, Terengganu and Penang governments.

Sarawak has 26 local councils under the purview of the Ministry of Local Government and Community Development.

Before speaking to the press, the chief minister officiated at the opening ceremony of Rimbunan Hijau Tower and Lassa Crude Palm Oil (CPO) Mill in Upper Lanang Road here.

Among those present at the function were Adenan’s wife Datin Patinggi Datuk Jamilah Anu, Second Finance Minister and Minister of Local Government and Community Development Dato Sri Wong Soon Koh, his wife Datin Sri Pauline Leong, Sibu Municipal Council chairman Datuk Tiong Thai King, Rimbunan Hijau Group executive chairman Tan Sri Datuk Sir Tiong Hiew King and governor of Khabarovsk Krai, Russia, Vyacheslav Ivanovich.