THE Sabah Infrastructure Development Ministry has given its assurance that workers from the outsourcing companies maintaining 58 water treatment plants will be absorbed into the State Water Department.

Its minister, Peter Anthony, today assured current staff of the water department that they will not lose their jobs to make way for the new hires. 

“I am giving this assurance because there have been viral messages going around, scaring the staff that they will have no jobs by January 15.

“Rest assured there will be no one will be out of job,” he told reporters in Kota Kinabalu, tonight.

Also present was the State Water Department Director Amarjit Singh.

The six companies that were awarded 20-year outsourcing contracts in 2013 by the previous Barisan Nasional government to maintain 58 treatment plants in Sabah have 1,335 staff.

Anthony had announced the termination of those contracts by January 15, saying it was to improve the state government’s finances by saving up to RM2 billion.

Anthony said the workers will absorbed to the water department via the Public Service Department.

“At this point, the water department has already issued a general circular to the six firms that their workers will be rehired by the department.

“The individual appointment letters will be handed to them individually later, “ he said.

Anthony expressed hope that the handover of the treatment plants will be done smoothly on January 15.

He also advised the workers if they had any concerns about their employment to contact the department’s hotline number at 088-326888. – January 10, 2019.