CM tells Amarjit to continue as SSWD director

KOTA KINABALU, Oct 10  -- The Sabah State Water Department (SSWD) director Datuk Amarjit Singh continued his duty and responsibility today after being advised by the Sabah State Cabinet and Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal.

Amarjit said Sabah Infrastructure Development Minister Datuk Peter Anthony had also directed him to go to work.

‘’I was advised by the State Cabinet to continue working. The Chief Minister had also contacted me yesterday and he said go to work. I said OK. The Minister also said go to work,’’ he said when asked by reporters on his status as the director of the department here today.

Yesterday, The Kota Kinabalu High Court declared the appointment of Amarjit as SSWD director as invalid because it was against Section 3 of the Sabah Water Supply Enactment 2003.

The decision was made by Judge R.Paramaguru in connection with the case filed by former Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Yong Teck Lee who is also Sabah Progressive Party president on March 19 to obtain a court declaration that Amarjit’s appointment in August last year was not according to the law.

Teck Lee and a businessman from Tawau Pang Thou Chung, when filing the case, stated that the appointment was opposed to the Sabah Water Supply Enactment 2003.

Section 3 in the enactment stated that the appointment to a senior post must be from among members of the public service.

Before being appointed the SSWD director by the new government of Sabah, headed by Parti Warisan Sabah (Warisan), Amarjit was not a member of the public service.

-- BERNAMA