Native Court building finally ready

KENINGAU: The official handing over ceremony of the RM4.3 million Keningau Native Court building by the Public Works Department (PWD) to the State Native Affairs Department (JHEANS), was held at Native Court meeting room here on Wednesday.

PWD Keningau divisional engineer Adrian Norbert Lee handed over the completed project document to the district officer who is also Keningau Native Court of Appeal judge, Haji Yusop Haji Osman, while the keys to the building was handed over to district chief OKK Mohd Amir Datuk Arif.

Also present at the event were JHEANS acting director Yusof Awang Ali, State PWD director’s representative Jumatli Haji Abdul Hamid, Prime Minister’s Department Implementation Coordination Unit (ICU) representatives, Local Government and Housing Ministry representatives and other government agencies’ officers.

Earlier, Adrian disclosed that the project was initiated in 2012, but due to unavoidable circumstances, it was halted for several years until PWD took over by appointing a new contractor through a re-tender exercise on July 15 last year.

He said when PWD took over the project, it was 60 percent completed while the newly appointed contractor continued to work on the roofing and finishings.

“The new contractor completed the project on schedule on May 14 this year. There will be a one-year maintenance period up to May 13 next year,” he said.

Meanwhile, JHEANS acting director Yusof Awang Ali thanked the PWD, ICU and other government departments and agencies, including the new contractor for completing this project.

“The construction of Native Court Keningau building is the Federal government’s commitment to Sabah to upgrade the Native Court to be equal to other courts in the country.

“The completion of this building is a source of pride to us as natives, and we want to express our grateful thanks to all government departments and agencies involved in this project,” he said.

Yusof also thanked the district officer and Keningau district council chairman, Haji Yusop Haji Osman, for speedily obtaining the occupational certificate (OC).

He expressed the hope that this new Keningau Native Court building will enable the staff to carry out their tasks more comfortably, including those who have dealings with the Native Court.