PUTRAJAYA, Sept 9 — The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) today confirmed that no mineral exploration activities have been carried out in Sabah by the company linked to Datuk Seri Farhash Wafa Salvador, contrary to recent allegations.
MACC chief commissioner Tan Sri Azam Baki said the decision was made after the Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) found no criminal case could be brought against any party.
“Our investigation included calling in all relevant parties and recording statements from Sabah Mineral Management Sdn Bhd, the state government, and others alleged to be involved.
“Ultimately, the DPP decided that no criminal case could be made against any party, whether under the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act 2009, the Penal Code, or any other law.
“There were also no governance issues involved in this matter. Therefore, the case has been closed,” he told a press conference here.
Azam explained that no land application was submitted to carry out mineral exploration in the state.
“This was not a land application. What was submitted was an application for mineral exploration to Sabah Mineral Management.
“This was not an approval from the state government or the Sabah state executive council. It is important to understand that this did not come from the Sabah government,” he said.
Azam said Sabah Mineral Management had initially granted conditional approval for exploration in March 2023.
However, the company involved was required to submit specific documents before any exploration could proceed.
“As the company failed to provide the necessary documents, the application was cancelled on March 20, 2025.
“In reality, no exploration work was ever carried out as the documents were never submitted,” he added.
In July, media reports claimed that Sabah Mineral Management, the state’s mineral licensing authority, had issued Bumi Suria — a company linked to Farhash — an exploration licence for coal mining.
The reports said the company was granted exclusive rights to explore and prospect for minerals across 70,000 hectares within the Kalabakan and Gunung Rara forest reserves near the Kalimantan border, but Farhash denied the claims.
