Sabah Energy Commission lodges report against news portal over IPP approval claims

KOTA KINABALU: A police report has been lodged over a defamatory article by news portal Sabahkini2, which accused the Energy Commission of Sabah (Ecos) chief executive officer Datuk Abdul Nasser Abdul Wahid of approving a power project without state cabinet approval.

Published on Thursday (April 17), Abdul Nasser said the article contained false and baseless allegations.

He denied all claims, calling the accusations defamatory and damaging to public trust in Sabah’s energy governance.

“All actions taken are in line with laws, regulations, and official procedures established by the government, including decisions of the Sabah Energy Council mandated by the State Cabinet,” he said in a statement on Sunday.

He said the article falsely implied that he had unilaterally approved the Libaran independent power producer (IPP) project, allegedly owned by a relative of a former prime minister.

“The article appears to be maliciously intended to damage both my personal reputation and the credibility of Ecos as a regulatory body,” he said, adding that it also sought to discredit the state government.

The police report calls for a full investigation into the article’s author, the operators of Sabahkini2, and others involved in disseminating the claims.

Abdul Nasser is also urging legal action under Sections 500 and 504 of the Penal Code, as well as the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998.

He has not ruled out pursuing civil action for reputational damage and potential losses arising from the publication, and would fully cooperate with the authorities and has entrusted the matter to law enforcement.