LD Council slams LDP's Chin over statement
Published on: Friday, September 08, 2017
Lahad Datu: The Lahad Datu District Council has lambasted Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) Deputy President Datuk Chin Su Phin and defended its decision pertaining to an agreement involving the Council and a company mentioned by Chin. Council Deputy Chairman Kassim Sulaiman also advised Chin to get his facts right before issuing any statement involving it. "Chin should come to Lahad Datu to find out the truth or at least do his homework before making any statement," he said.
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Chin had urged the Government to sack officers who acted against government directives. However, Kassim said, as a former Senator, Chin should know that decisions at District Council are made by the councillors, whose appointment are the prerogative of the State Local Government and Housing Minister. "By calling the government to sack the officers and councillors, is tantamount to questioning the judgement and wisdom of (Minister) Datuk Seri Panglima Hajiji Noor," he said, adding that the councillors are not stupid and make decisions guided by the Ordinances, Instruments and laws. Chin when officiating the LDP Tanjung Kapor division annual meeting in Kudat, last Saturday, said that the Council and a company had signed an agreement to operate a food court for 15 years, whereby the lease was to be renewed every five years.
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The food court operator was said to have applied for the renewal of the lease upon obtaining approval from the Ministry two years ago. The operator even agreed to rebuild parts of the structure that were damaged in a fire two years ago.
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However, Chin said the District Council had not signed the lease renewal till now and that the officer was also making things difficult for the operator. A report with the police and the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission was subsequently lodged by the operator. "The Ministry recently issued another letter to the Council instructing them to renew the lease. But, for some reason, the District Council has not acted on the directive," Chin was quoted as saying. Chin said the executive officer's blatant defiance of the directive seemed to suggest that he has more power than the Minister. He was also quoted as saying that the executive officer was later assigned to swap positions with the Papar District Officer but refused to go on transfer, even though his successor had arrived in Lahad Datu to assume the new post. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
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