Case closed.
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s former aide, Farhash Wafa Salvador Rizal Mubarak, has been cleared of alleged involvement in the Sabah mining scandal after investigations confirmed no exploration licence was issued to his company.
Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) chief Azam Baki said the investigation papers were submitted to the Attorney-General’s Chambers, which found no basis for charges.
“We have called all the parties involved. Ultimately, the deputy public prosecutor decided that no criminal charges could be brought against any party, whether under the MACC Act, the Penal Code, or any other law. There is also no governance issue. This case has already been closed,” he told reporters in Putrajaya.
Azam clarified that a company linked to Farhash had applied to Sabah Mineral Management Sdn Bhd (SMM) in March 2023 for a mineral exploration licence but failed to submit the required documents. The application was terminated in March this year, and no exploration took place.
On 21 July, online portal MalaysiaNow published documents allegedly showing Farhash had authorisation to prospect for minerals in a large Sabah forest reserve. Farhash dismissed the report as fake, issued a legal letter to the portal, and lodged a police report.
Since then, SMM and its chief executive officer, Natasha Sim, have sought gag orders against MalaysiaNow and its editor, Abdar Rahman Koya, over the articles on the mining scandal.