SMM does not issue prospecting licences, to sue MalaysiaNow for defamation

Free Malaysia Today

Sabah Mineral Management Sdn Bhd says it issued Bumi Suria Sdn Bhd conditional permission to apply for a licence, which was subsequently revoked.  Read More: https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2025/07/25/smm-does-not-issue-prospecting-licences-to-sue-malaysianow-for-defamation  Laporan Lanjut: https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/bahasa/tempatan/2025/07/25/smm-tak-keluar-lesen-cari-gali-mahu-saman-malaysianow-kerana-fitnah  Free Malaysia Today is an independent, bi-lingual news portal with a focus on Malaysian current affairs.    Subscribe to our channel - http://bit.ly/2Qo08ry   ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Check us out at https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com Follow FMT on Facebook: https://bit.ly/49JJoo5 Follow FMT on Dailymotion: https://bit.ly/2WGITHM Follow FMT on X: https://bit.ly/48zARSW  Follow FMT on Instagram: https://bit.ly/48Cq76h Follow FMT on TikTok : https://bit.ly/3uKuQFp Follow FMT Berita on TikTok: https://bit.ly/48vpnQG  Follow FMT Telegram - https://bit.ly/42VyzMX Follow FMT LinkedIn - https://Ábit.ly/42YytEb Follow FMT Lifestyle on Instagram: https://bit.ly/42WrsUj Follow FMT on WhatsApp: https://bit.ly/49GMbxW  ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Download FMT News App: Google Play – http://bit.ly/2YSuV46 App Store – https://apple.co/2HNH7gZ Huawei AppGallery - https://bit.ly/2D2OpNP  #FMTNews #SMM #MalaysiaNow #Licences

Transcript

00:01Sabah Mineral Management Sindhjian Berhard has denied issuing a prospecting license to Bumi Surya Sindhjian Berhard,

00:07accusing Malaysia Now of publishing false, misleading and defamatory content.

00:12In a statement today, the state government agency said it would be taking legal action against the portal.

00:18SMM said Malaysia Now had not sought its response prior to publication.

00:22It said the portal's reports on the matter were biased, one-sided and calculated to defame SMM, its directors and officers.

00:31SMM said it does not have authority to issue prospecting licenses.

00:35It said the issuance of such licenses fell under the jurisdiction of Sabah's Lands and Surveys Department.

00:41In its report, Malaysia Now claimed that SMM had awarded an exploration license for coal mining to Bumi Surya,

00:47a company it alleged was linked to businessman Farhash Wafa Salvador Rizal Mubarak.

00:52The portal also claimed that Bumi Surya was granted exclusive rights to explore and search for minerals

00:58on 70,000 hectares of forests reserved in Kalabakan and Gunung Rara, near the Kalimantan border.

01:05On Monday, Farhash denied the allegations and said his lawyers had served Malaysia Now with a cease and desist letter.

01:11The lawyers said Farhash was merely a director and shareholder of Bumi Surya.

01:16They demanded that the article be removed from Malaysia Now's website and all its social media channels.

01:22Narmatharajah, FMT.

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