Newly enacted law should protect seafront up to KKIA – SAPP

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) president Datuk Seri Panglima Yong Teck Lee has urged the state government to extend the newly enacted law protecting the State Capital’s seafront all the way to the Kota Kinabalu International Airport (KKIA).

This was because there were areas not protected by the law, Yong said at the Public Forum on Land Use: What Have You To Say organised by the GBBM at Grand Port View here yesterday.

1,550 hectares seafront selectively protected

Yong said that while SAPP supported the Land (Amendment) Enactment 2012 which saw 1,550 hectares of seafront protected from being alienated, the party wanted to know why there are “pocket” areas not protected as well as those in front of areas popularly known as first, second and third beach in Tanjung Aru not covered by the law.

He pointed out that there was also the pocket area of 300 acres of seafront in Jesselton Point, which was also not included in the new law.

He said that since the protected areas only reached the seafront of Shangri-La’s Tanjung Aru Resort and Spa it also raised question about the status of two parcels of land adjacent to the resort.

The two parcels of land in the sea and the pocket area in front of Jesselton Point were also visible in the map provided by the state government when the Enactment Bill was tabled.

To a question from the floor, he said that there should not be any doubt that the 1,550 hectares of seafront would be protected because in order to degazette it requires the approval of the State Legislative Assembly.

But, the same cannot be said about the status of the pocket area and the two parcels of land in Tanjung Aru in future, he opined.

“For now nothing happens but we don’t know in future (if it is not included in the protection area),” he said.
Yong also said that SAPP was worried about the status of the land, which currently housed the Courthouse and State Library as well as the maternity clinic in the city centre.

He said under the Kota Kinabalu Draft Local Plan 2012-2020 the land zone had already been changed to commercial compared to previously when it was marked as government land.

“It is called a draft local plan but actually everything being done is based on this plan already,” he said, adding that the draft local plan book is available at the City Hall at RM250.

He said the High Court building should not be demolished and it would be perfect to be turned into a City Museum to make it as an attraction for the State Capital once the courthouse is shifted.

“Now people come here they only talk about our seafood and that’s it,” said Yong.

According to him, there is a new system in place in Kota Kinabalu where the newer generation wants more greenery and environmentally-conscious.

“This I call the hierarchy of needs and we have now reached a higher hierarchy,” he said.

Another speaker, Datuk Chau Tet On said he was sad to know that the railway station in Tanjung Aru was being transformed into a mixed-commercial development without the knowledge of the public.

Being a resident of Tanjung Aru, he said he had a fond memory of the railway services because his father worked there in 1890 and helped to build up the railway.

Two other speakers, namely Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Dr Yee Moh Chai and Kota Kinabalu MP Hiew King Cheu did not turn up at the forum.

Dr Yee through his political secretary had said that the minister had already committed himself to an earlier appointment that he could not postpone while Hiew in a statement said that although the forum would be discussing a very important subject, he claimed he was not informed about it. It was reliably learnt that he was invited but he turn down on knowing that other speakers included Yong will be present.

Furthermore, the Sabah DAP adviser said it would not be possible for him to attend since DAP adviser Lim Kit Siang was on a three-day roadshow in Sabah and on Sunday they were in Tenom and Penampang.