Sabah AG quits
Jan 19, 09 6:51pm
Sabah Attorney-General Antony Roderic Fernandez has quit as the state's top legal advisor but denied that it is related to the ongoing legal tussle over the Mazu (Goddess of the Sea) statue.

News reports quoted Fernandez as saying that he submitted his resignation to the Yang DiPertua Negri last Friday. He cited "personal and family reasons".

Fernandez was appointed for a three-year term in May 2006. He was a senior partner in the legal firm Shelly Yap Leong Tseu Chong Chia and Co before he took up the post.

His appointment was touted at that time by Sabah Chief Minister Musa Aman as crucial to help the state government unravel the many previous legal agreements and memorandums of understanding which were against the interest of the state.

Fernandez was also representing the defendants in the Mazu case.

Former CM sues current CM

However, the government recently appointed another legal firm to represent the first, second and third defendants in the case.

kudat sabahMusa, who is the first defendant, was sued over the matter by former chief minister Chong Kah Kiat.

Chong has accused the chief minister of alleged abuse of power in halting the project.

Former state secretary KY Mustafa, Local Government and Housing Ministry permanent secretary Ujang Sulani and the Kudat Town Board are the other defendants.

During the last hearing at the Sandakan High Court, Chong had said that he "received divine instructions from Mazu" to put up a statue in her honour in Kudat.