State govt appeals against ruling on Sabah Water Department director

State govt appeals against ruling on Sabah Water Department director

He says Section 3 (2) of Sabah's Water Supply Enactment 2003 might not apply to Amarjit Singh.

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Liew Vui Keong.
KUALA LUMPUR:
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Liew Vui Keong says the Sabah government has filed an appeal against the recent ruling by the Kota Kinabalu High Court that the appointment of Amarjit Singh as director of the Sabah Water Department (JANS) in August last year is illegal.

He said while he respected the court’s decision, the appeal process should be allowed so that the matter can be settled as quickly as possible.

Judge Ravinthran Paramaguru had ruled that Amarjit’s appointment went against Section 3 of the state’s Water Supply Enactment 2003, which states that only civil servants should be given senior positions at JANS.

However, Liew said Section 3 (2) of the law might not apply to Amarjit.

“I am taking the chance to state that (in my appeal),” he told reporters at the Parliament lobby today.

The case was filed by former Sabah chief minister Yong Teck Lee, who is also president of the Sabah Progressive Party, and Tawau businessman Pang Thou Chung.

They claimed Amarjit’s appointment was in violation of the law and that he was appointed due to his position in Warisan, the party leading the ruling coalition in Sabah.

Amarjit was appointed to the post in August last year, some two months after Warisan took over the state government. He is the secretary of the Putatan Warisan division.

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