CM defends MPs’ appointments as GLCs chairmen
Published on: Thursday, June 04, 2020
By: Larry Ralon
Kota Kinabalu: Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal has defended the appointments of Sepanggar MP Datuk Mohd Azis Jamman and Penampang MP Datuk Darell Leiking (pic) as chairmen of Sabah government-linked companies (GLCs).This is despite that the appointments seem like a U-turn from the pledge his Parti Warisan Sabah (Warisan) had made in its 2018 election manifesto that it will not appoint elected representatives (YBs) to head State GLCs.
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Mohd Azis has been appointed as the Chairman of Warisan Harta Sabah Sdn Bhd (WHSSB), while Darell as Chairman of Sabah Oil and Gas Development Corporation Sdn Bhd (SOGDC) which manages the Sipitang Oil and Gas Industrial Park (Sogip).
“Because I know both of them (Mohd Azis and Darell) have experiences, like Darell as SOGDC Chairman because he was previously International Trade and Investment (Miti) Minister, while Azis (as former Deputy Home Minister) also has his experiences.
“Yes, that was the intention (to not appoint YBs as chairmen of State GLCs). But when you look at the list, most or more than 95 per cent of State GLCs are headed by professionals,” Shafie said when asked during a press conference after he officially launched the sabahtrace app at the State Administrative Centre, here, Wednesday.
Shafie said he was well aware of the pledge (in the 2018 election manifesto) but, at the same time, he also knows the advantage of putting the two MPs in those positions.
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“What is important is the interest of the people,” he said.
Meanwhile, Shafie said the Sabah Government welcomes all Malaysians to visit the State, irrespective of whether they are coming for holiday or work.
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“All can come. They only need to produce a letter from the Health Ministry confirming that they are free from Covid-19,” he said.
He said the decision was made as part of the State Government’s effort to revive the economy.
“I want to revive the State economy and that’s why we have decided to start allowing people to come, whether official, not official, holidaying and so on,” he said, clarifying the confusion over the decision to allow Malaysians arriving in Sabah to skip quarantine, if they were Covid-19 negative.
When announcing it on Tuesday, Shafie said the State Government has agreed to exempt them from quarantine on condition they had already done the Covid-19 test at the place/state they are coming from three days before they enter Sabah and that they had been confirmed as negative.
Shafie said it is compulsory for non-Sabahan Malaysian citizens and non-Malaysians to produce work pass and other passes which are still valid when arriving in Sabah.
When asked on the difference between the directive to that for the states in the peninsula where inter-state travel requires a letter from the police, Shafie said the State Government had already thought of this (its decision), including on how to manage it.
“The difference in approaches between the states is normal as it depends on the situation in the states concerned, just like in the number of people allowed to pray in a mosque where different states have different figures,” he said.
Earlier Wednesday, State secretary Datuk Safar Untong had said that the move was for those working or have work to do in Sabah and was not for social visit or tourism purposes.
In a statement Wednesday, Sabah Health Department Director Datuk Dr Christina Rundi said her department had been receiving many queries about the requirement for obtaining the Covid-19 tests, as well as endorsement from the Health Ministry.
Meanwhile, some 260,000 people have been using the sabahtrace app since it was introduced by the State Government on May 18 to enable them to scan their names and phone numbers when entering premises in a system that aims to facilitate Covid-19 contact tracing.
Shafie said he was pleased with the great response received from the public to use the app, which also augurs well with the effort to digitalise the State Government.
“This app, which is the first of its kind in the country, shows the State Government has been proactive in dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic.
“This app is one of the methods the State Government uses in dealing with the pandemic, to control and prevent it from spreading further,” he said.
Sabahtrace, which is an initiative of State Secretary cum Sabah Covid-19 Command Centre Chairman Datuk Safar Untong, is used by government departments, agencies and all sectors of industry and business in Sabah.
Staff and visitors only need to use a QR code reader app to scan a premises’ QR code which will register their names and phone numbers into the system.
To use the app, owners of premises need to register at https://sabahtrace.my to obtain their QR ID entry and print their QR code sheet which should be pinned on the entrance to their premises.Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
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