KOTA KINABALU: The Sabah Water Department has a new director in Chee Chun Chieh, the fourth to be appointed in this current state government.
Chee, who was the district engineer for the water department in Kota Kinabalu, took over from Quirine Jokinol recently.
State Works Minister Datuk Shahelmey Yahya said such transfers were normal in the civil service.
“I hope this new director can carry out his responsibilities well,” he said when contacted, adding that Chee’s appointment was made recently and he has started duties as the new director.
Before Chee and Jokinol, the other Sabah Water Department directors were Suhaimi Asbullah and Baharuhom Sogon.
Sogon was the first to helm the department after Parti Warisan lost the 2020 state elections. The director at the time was Datuk Amarjit Singh.
Amarjit’s political appointment in 2018 was challenged as he had never been in the civil service before and in 2020, he was transferred to the State Economic Planning Unit.
Before him, the Water Department director post was left vacant in 2016 when former director Ag Mohd Tahir Mohd Talib and deputy director Lim Lam Beng were charged that year. Also charged was Ag Tahir’s wife Fauziah Piut.
The trio were later jointly tried on 37 counts of money laundering, involving cash and bank savings of RM61.57mil, as well as unlawful possession of luxury goods and all have been ordered to enter their defence in two sessions this year.
On Dec 4 last year, the Sessions Court here set Feb 26 to 28 and April 28 to 30 for the defence case.
The Water Department had been under constant bashing from the public due to non-stop water disruptions on a daily basis, in different districts statewide.
