The appeal was filed in the Court of Appeal shortly after the High Court granted leave on April 14 for Dhaya Maju LTAT Sdn Bhd to proceed with its judicial review.

An official from the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC), appearing for the government and the transport ministry, said the notice of appeal was filed on April 20.

Judge Noorin Badaruddin, in ordering the legal challenge to be heard in its full merits, had also ordered to stay the government’s decision to call for a public tender on the project pending the disposal of Dhaya Maju LTAT’s case before her.

Dhaya Maju LTAT had also filed two separate lawsuits against the government on the termination of the contract.

Another High Court had last week heard the company’s bid to seek an injunction in its second lawsuit against the government. Judge Lim Chong Fong fixed June 4 for the decision.

Last year, transport minister Wee Ka Siong announced that the Cabinet had agreed to convert the KVDT2 rehabilitation project to an open tender and to cancel the directly negotiated contract after it found that it would cost a lot less than the amount previously cited.

KVDT2 was one of 101 projects, involving a total of RM6.61 billion, which the Perikatan Nasional-led government said were awarded through direct negotiations under Pakatan Harapan’s watch.