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Besra Gold Inc. Addresses Statements Made by Quantum Metal Recovery Inc., Calls Them Misleading

12.06.2025  |  Newsfile

Besra Gold Inc. issues the following statement:

Quantum has demonstrated a pattern of flagrant disregard of corporate and securities laws

Quantum and its nominees have not articulated any plan for advancing Besra's
objectives or furthering shareholder interests

Quantum's attempts to remove independent directors risk irrevocable destruction of
shareholder value

Besra's independent directors are evaluating all legal avenues to address Quantum's
misrepresentations and misconduct

Melbourne, June 12, 2025 - Besra Gold Inc. (ASX: BEZ) ("Besra" or the "Company") is compelled to respond to a news release issued on 6 June 2025 by Quantum Metal Recovery Inc ("Quantum"), a company founded and controlled by Dato' Lim Khong Soon ("Mr Lim"), one of Besra's current directors.

The other directors of Besra (the "Independent Directors") are concerned that Quantum has made material misrepresentations in its press release and elsewhere and therefore wish to set the record straight to ensure that the market is not misled by Quantum and shareholders have all relevant facts ahead of the special meeting of shareholders scheduled for 24 June 2025 (corresponding to 23 June 2025 in Canada) (the "Meeting").

Quantum's Personal Grievance

On 15 May 2025, Quantum commenced legal proceedings alleging, among other things, that Besra's board of directors (the "Board") (other than Mr Lim) conducted the affairs of the Company in a manner that was oppressive of Quantum's interests. At the heart of Quantum's grievances are its unfounded allegations that Besra has not met its obligations under the May 8, 2023, gold purchase agreement (the "GPA") between Quantum and Besra because the Bau Gold Project is not yet a producing mine.

Quantum's lawsuit against the Company alleges that that Mr Lim repeatedly raised concerns that the Bau Gold Project was not progressing as expected "because the Board lacked the necessary experience in the mining industry and the specialised skills to direct an endeavour on that scale." The lawsuit glosses over that within days of the GPA becoming effective, Mr Lim was appointed as Executive Chair of Besra and another nominee of Quantum, Mr Chang Loong Lee ("Mr Lee"), was appointed as a Non-Executive Director of Besra. From that time until Mr Lee's recent resignation on 20 May 2025, Quantum's nominees have represented at least 50% of the Board (at times as much as two-thirds of the Board). Mr Lim was additionally Chair of the Board until he resigned on 14 February 2025. At the time Quantum filed its lawsuit against the Company, Mr Lim and Mr Lee continued to represent 50% of Quantum's Board.

While the GPA doesn't specify a timeline for the development of the Bau Gold Project, the causes of the delay are no secret and include the following issues that have been previously announced:

  1. Quantum failed to continue remitting funds under the GPA: Besra received its last payment from Quantum under the GPA in November of 2023. A further payment of US$9,827,855 due and payable by Quantum in December of 2023 was never received. As a result, Besra became subject to a lawsuit by other shareholders alleging, among other things, that the Board failed to assert its rights in connection with Quantum's failure to remit the committed funds as "any assertion of Besra's rights would be against [the interests of Mr Lim, Mr Lee and Quantum, and] Mr Lim and Mr Lee prefer their (and [Quantum's]) interest above Besra's." The shareholders who commenced this action are advised that the Independent Directors are actively considering litigation options to cause Quantum to comply with its funding obligations under the GPA and are concerned that Quantum's director nominees (the "Quantum Nominees"), if elected, may be able to take steps to prevent Besra from requiring Quantum to comply with its obligations under the GPA.
  1. Besra's mining tenements have not been renewed: Besra's mining tenements over the Bau Gold Project came due for renewal in 2024 and early-2025. Whilst renewal of the mining licences occurred in May and June of 2024, in advance of their expiry, the renewals have yet to be approved. Besra (on behalf of the licencees) continues to engage with the Sarawak Government regarding the tenements, but until such time as the tenements are renewed, Besra is unable to progress with the development of the Bau Gold Project.

Through its appointed nominees on Besra's Board, Quantum oversaw the delays of which it now complains. Quantum now proposes the removal of the Independent Directors so that it can regain control of the Company.

Quantum's lawsuit was initiated nearly a month ago, but as of the date hereof, Quantum has not delivered any supporting evidence as required by the applicable rules of civil procedure, and as a result Besra has not yet been able to respond. Quantum's notice of application also includes several other inexplicable claims, including that Besra's Board has oppressed Quantum by, among other things, "failing to take necessary steps to restore the Company's trading status on the TSX" (Besra was delisted from the TSX more than ten years ago and has no present intention of relisting) and declining to call a separate shareholder meeting for the purpose of considering the business proposed by Quantum (all of which is tabled for consideration at the Meeting).

Quantum's Repeated Material Misrepresentations

At all relevant times, Quantum was fully aware of the delays at the Bau Gold Project. However, even as Quantum's Board nominees continued to oversee such delays, Quantum repeatedly made material misrepresentations and exaggerations regarding the status of Besra's operations. Most recently (and just one week before Quantum filed its lawsuit), an affiliate of Quantum published a video (the "Unauthorised Video") that:

The Unauthorised Video was not authorised by or produced with the permission or involvement of Besra. The Unauthorised Video's portrayal of Besra and its operations stands in stark contrast to Quantum's characterisation of Besra in the ongoing lawsuit, which was filed just a week after the publication of the Unauthorized Video.

While it is unclear to the Independent Directors precisely what Quantum is selling, it is inaccurate to suggest that whatever interests are being sold are backed by physical gold mined by Besra. The Unauthorised Video does not acknowledge the reality that Besra does not have any active mining operations and that there is no guarantee that its mining tenements will be renewed or that Besra will ever obtain physical gold from the Bau Gold Project. As the Unauthorised Video misrepresents Besra as having a "secure and reliable" gold supply that forms part of Quantum's "fully implemented, functioning system", Besra was compelled to publicly correct those misrepresentations.

The Independent Directors also have significant concerns as to whether the "1,000 units of bonus shares from a ASX-listed gold mining company" promised by Quantum are in fact Besra securities that are (or were) owned by Quantum. Quantum's website indicates that the identity of the issuer of the "bonus shares" will be "revealed within 365 days". Other than unsubstantiated assertions, Quantum has refused to provide any confirmation that the "bonus shares" are not securities issued by Besra. If the "bonus shares" are securities issued by Besra, as suspected by the Independent Directors, then Quantum is effectively selling its interest in the Company without disclosure to the market and with the intention of nonetheless voting those securities at the Meeting.

Quantum's Repeated Failures Complying with Legal Requirements and Processes

Quantum has demonstrated a clear pattern of flagrant disregard of corporate and securities laws and other legal requirements:

Besra's counsel has put Quantum on notice that if Quantum does not comply with its insider reporting obligations and disclose the extent of its interest in Besra in accordance with applicable law, objections may be raised to the extent it is unclear how many votes Quantum is entitled to cast at the Meeting. Objections may also be raised in connection with Quantum's illegal solicitation of proxies.

Quantum's Nominees

Quantum and the Quantum Nominees have not articulated any plans for achieving Besra's objectives or advancing the interests of the Company's shareholders. As Quantum has disclosed only limited information regarding the Quantum Nominees, the Board considers it necessary to disclose the following information:

Shareholders are reminded that the only way to stop Quantum from replacing the Independent Directors with Quantum's hand-selected director nominees is through strong shareholder turnout and resolve at the Meeting.

Vote to Protect Your Investment in Besra

On 20 May 2025, Mr Lee, Quantum's previously appointed Board nominee, resigned from the Board following Quantum seeking to have him removed as a director of the Company. Accordingly, once Mr Lim is removed from the Board, Quantum's influence on the governance and direction of Besra will cease. The Independent Directors have articulated and are poised to execute their plan for creating shareholder value.

Your vote is important regardless of the number of securities you own. The Independent Directors urge you to submit your proxy form or CDI voting instruction form today and vote as recommended by the Board:

Completed CDI voting instruction forms must be returned no later than 11:30 a.m. (Sydney, Australia time) on 18 June 2025.

The Meeting of Besra's shareholders will be held at the offices of Hall Chadwick located at Level 40, 2 Park Street, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia 2000 on Tuesday, 24 June 2025 at 11:30 a.m. (Sydney, Australia time) (corresponding to Monday, 23 June 2025 at 9:30 p.m. (Toronto, Canada time)).

For more information, shareholders are encouraged to access the Company's management information circular, which is available on Besra's profile at www.sedarplus.ca.

If you have any questions or require more information with regard to voting your proxy, please contact Georgeson, toll free in Australia at 1300 116 265 or at +61 3 9415 4319 outside of Australia, or by e-mail at investor.engagement@georgeson.com.

This announcement was authorised for release by Mr David Potter - Non-Executive Chair
Michael Higginson,
Chief Corporate Officer and Company Secretary michael.higginson@besra.com

Forward-Looking Statements:

This news release contains "forward-looking information" or "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable securities laws (collectively, "forward-looking statements"). In some cases, forward-looking statements are identifiable by the terminology used, such as "may," "expect," "believe," "plan," "anticipate," "intend," "could," "estimate," "continue," or similar expressions or the negative of such expressions. In addition, any statements that refer to expectations, intentions, projections or other characterisations of future events or circumstances are considered forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements in this news release include, among other things, references, expressed or implied, to the date of the Meeting, the matters to be considered by shareholders at the Meeting, the renewal of Besra's mining tenements, and objections that may be raised in connection with illegal proxy solicitations and voting of securities at the Meeting.

Forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties and other factors, some of which are beyond the control of Besra, which could cause actual events, results, expectations, achievements or performance to differ materially. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the possibility that the Meeting will be postponed or adjourned and other risks and uncertainties. The foregoing list of risks and uncertainties is not exhaustive.

Although we have attempted to identify important risk factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements, there may be other risk factors not presently known to us or that we presently believe are not material that could also cause actual results or future events to differ materially from those expressed in such forward-looking statements. There can be no assurance that such information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such information. No forward-looking statement is a guarantee of future results. Accordingly, you should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release represent the Company's expectations as of the date of this news release (or as of the date they are otherwise stated to be made) and are subject to change after such date. However, the Company disclaims any intention or obligation or undertaking to update or revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required under applicable laws. All of the forward-looking statements contained in this news release are expressly qualified by the foregoing cautionary statements.