Hii Chang Lik, a Sarawakian, with business in Sabah, was yesterday appointed to the post by Chief Minister Shafie Apdal.
Sabah Health and People’s Well-being Minister Stephen Wong confirmed this tonight, when FMT contacted him.
Former Sabah Amanah chief Hamzah Abdullah described the appointment of a non-Sabahan as an insult to the intelligence of the people of Sabah, especially those in Sandakan. He said Hii had a timber business in Sandakan.
He said just over a month ago, in a Facebook posting, he had said that the post had been left vacant on purpose and that Parti Warisan Sabah had reserved it for a Sarawakian. He did not name Hii, but an accompanying photo showed Hii with Shafie.
He said it implied that Shafie did not believe Sabahans were capable of managing their own municipal council. He said Hii and Shafie were close friends.
Meanwhile, Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) secretary-general Johnny Mositun said the appointment was contrary to the policy of priority for Sabahans to head government departments, agencies and institutions.
Calling on the Chief Minister’s Office and state ministry of local government and housing to give an explanation, Mositun said his office had already been receiving protests and complaints about the matter.
“But PBS is an opposition party, and the best we can do is to voice our protest and opposition to this appointment.
“This is similar to the recent appointment of a non-civil servant as director of the Sabah Water Department. It is insulting to Sabahans that the chief minister has no confidence in our civil service.
“I know for sure there are many Sabahans who are as qualified, if not more than qualified, to be made MPS president, just as there are many civil servants who deserve to be director of the Water Department,” he said.
Mositun said it was a worrying trend and indicative of cronyism on the part of the Warisan administration.
“That’s what it looks like to me. The ministers in this new administration seem to be appointing their cronies into key positions. These people will then be in charge of government development funds and award contracts to whoever they like.
“You can guess their aim. The sudden ‘revival’ of the Kaiduan Dam project with a new name tells it all. And PBS will not be surprised in the coming weeks and months about more questionable appointments like these,” he said.