KOTA KINABALU:News that a non-Sabahan is to be appointed President of the Sandakan Municipal Council (MPS) has raised concerns that the State Government is by-passing civil service norms and conventions in the appointment of key senior public officials.
“PBS came to know that the Ministry of Local Government and Housing has directed that one Datuk Hu Chang Lik, a Sarawakian, is to be appointed President of the Sandakan Municipal Council on a one-year contract on Jusa C salary scale. This runs contrary to the policy of priority for Sabahans to head government departments, agencies and institutions . It makes no sense at all,” said PBS Secretary General, Datuk Johnny Mositun.
Calling on the Chief Minister’s Office and Ministry of Local Government and Housing for an explanation, Mositun said his office had already been receiving protests and complaints about the matter, urging PBS to take up the matter with the state government.
“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 to be made MPS President, just as there are many civil servants who deserve to be Director of the Water Department,” Mositun 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.-pr/BNN
