The political coalition Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) is calling for the arrest of those responsible for spreading false allegations against the family of Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor. The allegations accused his family of having links to a major Sabah drug cartel, and were described as aiming to humiliate and libel Hajiji.
Datuk Nizam Abu Bakar Titingan, GRS information chief, emphasized the need for police to identify the mastermind behind the smear campaign, asserting that it not only defames the Chief Minister’s family, but also tarnishes the reputation of GRS and Parti Gagasan Rakyat Sabah (PGRS) led by Hajiji.
Nizam described the allegations on social media as false, wild, and defamatory, expressing disgust at the attempt to sully the Chief Minister’s image. He also suggested that the smear campaign may have been orchestrated by a political party seeking to overthrow the GRS state government.
He accused the orchestrators of fabricating stories in desperation for political support, and warned that the public would reject any party spreading such lies.
Mohd Reza Hajiji, Hajiji’s son, filed a report at the Tuaran district police headquarters, prompting an investigation. This incident is not the first time social media allegations have linked political parties to criminal activities, as Opposition Parti Warisan faced similar claims after a major drug cartel was busted last Christmas.
Ten individuals, including a 40-year-old mastermind with a “Datuk” title and a patron of an NGO, were arrested for alleged involvement in the drug syndicate. These arrests led to social media posts linking Parti Warisan to the cartel, prompting the party to dismiss the claims as “wild and baseless.”
Several police reports were lodged by Warisan officials in response to the social media allegations.
