ALOR STAR: Former Kedah Bar Council chairman Datuk Ahmad Zakiuddin Harun has been appointed chairman of the state Appeals Board for the 2014-2017 term.
He will lead a committee of eight to oversee appeal cases pertaining to decisions by the local government in the state.
Prominent lawyer Ahmad Farid Zakaria was appointed deputy chairman of the Appeals Board.
The other members of the board are Datuk Hashim Mat Noor, Datuk Syed Azizan Syed Mohamad Al-Idrus, Datuk Ismail Hamid, architect Wan Fatimah Md Arshad, Chin Len Chong and Aishah Abdullah.
They received their appointment letters from Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Mukhriz Mahathir at Wisma Darulaman recently.
Mukhriz said the independent board, which was set up in 2000 under the Town Country and Planning Act (TCPA) Act 1976, offered an avenue for those who wished to appeal against decisions made by local councils.
“The appeals that can be filed with the board comprised rejected planning proposals, appeals by land owners, appeals for compensation and others,” he added,
“I would like to remind local councils in the state to always abide by the gazetted development plan in the state as the guideline to avoid their decisions being challenged.”
Mukhriz said 57 appeal cases had been filed with the board. By Adie Suri Zulkefli