KOTA KINABALU: Chief Minister Shafie Apdal has taken a veiled swipe at Sabah PKR after rejecting criticism by the party’s Wanita leader about the Sabah Water Department.
He said Rahimah Majid had a right to voice her views yesterday, but dismissed her contention that the state government’s credibiity had been affected by allowing Amarjit Singh to continue as head of Sabah Water despite a court ruling that his appointment had contravened state law.
“Well, I don’t think so. It doesn’t mean one appointment can jeopardise the state government’s image,” Shafie said
He upheld Rahimah’s right to voice her views. “We can’t stop anyone from speaking out. Probably, they feel that is right but sometimes we know what is not right,” he said.
However Shafie, who is president of Parti Warisan Sabah, then questioned PKR’s professed stand on reforms, saying: “What kind of reform should we do? What reform do they want?”
He also said he had “never mentioned anything bad or what is done by the party at state level … there are many. But it’s okay, that’s her right,” Shafie said to reporters here today.
Rahimah said yesterday the chief minister was wrong to advise Amarjit to stay in his post pending an appeal against the High Court decision that Amarjit’s appointment as director had contravened a state law. Shafie said the judge had never ruled the appointment to be illegal.
On Oct 9, High Court judge Ravinthran Paramaguru said the Water Supply Enactment 2003 stated that only civil servants should be given senior positions. He made the ruling in a civil suit brought by Sabah Progressive Party president Yong Teck Lee and businessman Pang Thou Chung, who had sought a declaration on Amarjit’s status. - FMT
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