As election looms, Sabah again bars entry to man who exposed scandal implicating Hajiji's government

The whistleblower at the centre of explosive graft revelations involving top Sabah ruling politicians was again barred from entering the state ahead of critical elections that allies of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim desperately need to win to ensure his government's continuity in Putrajaya.

Albert Tei, the businessman behind a series of shocking corruption revelations involving Chief Minister Hajiji Noor, was barred from entering Sabah yesterday as he arrived ahead of a criminal case mention at the Kota Kinabalu Sessions Court today.

It was the second time Tei was stopped from entering Sabah, after he was barred on Sept 21 and informed by immigration that there was a "restriction from the Chief Minister’s Office".

"Is the Chief Minister worried or concerned about what my client may disclose in court?" asked his lawyer, Mahajoth Singh.

"How is my client expected to defend himself in court if he is physically prevented from entering the very state where the court sits?

"The repetition of this conduct today shows a pattern of abuse, not an error. It sends a message that the Chief Minister’s Office believes it is above the law," he said.

Mahajoth told MalaysiaNow that Tei was instructed to wait on the aircraft and later took the same flight back to Kuala Lumpur that evening.

He said a contempt application was being filed against those who prevented Tei from entering the state.

This comes as Hajiji's Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS), which has been at odds with state Umno leaders, faces the difficult task of winning the state election on Nov 25, where the corruption scandal exposed by Tei is set to loom large during campaigning.

GRS comprises eight political parties, including Parti Gagasan Rakyat Sabah (PGRS), of which Hajiji, a former Bersatu leader, is the president.

The coalition, originally allied to Perikatan Nasional, last won the state election in 2020 at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic.

However, after the 2022 general election, Hajiji announced that he was leaving Bersatu and shifted support to Anwar's Pakatan Harapan coalition government.

Tei first released a series of video recordings showing Sabah state assemblymen discussing bribes ranging from hundreds of thousands to millions of ringgit.

Fearing for his safety, Tei then sought protection so that he could lodge a formal complaint with the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).

However, his personal plea to Anwar to be granted whistleblower protection was turned down by the prime minister.

The videos released by Tei have implicated more than a dozen state assemblymen, including Hajiji and his deputy Jeffrey Kitingan, as well as other senior state ministers.

After months of pressure on the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) to speed up investigations, two Sabah assemblymen were charged, although top politicians have been so far spared.

Tei himself was charged with the offence of receiving and giving bribes totalling RM350,000 in connection with mining permits.