Yong: "All that the people want is for the Chief Minister to guarantee that the High Court, Library and adjoining lands in down town City Centre will be permanently reserved for public purpose"
A former Sabah chief minister is demanding transparency following several state land deals that have been sprung on the public without notice.
KOTA KINABALU: City dwellers here are holding their heads in disbelief as another piece of historical property appears to be ready for the market.
The state government’s recent announcement that the Sabah’s main court house in the city will be closed and a new court complex built well outside the city centre has put a question mark over the future of all the buildings and park adjoining it.
It’s enough to get a former Sabah chief minister demand transparency following several other state land deals that have been sprung on the public without notice.
Yong Teck Lee, the leader of the Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP), wants the state Barisan Nasional government to guarantee that the various prime pieces of state land in the city are protected and preserved for public purposes.
City dwellers and Sabahans in general, he said, are worried that the present site of the High Court and its neighbouring buildings such as the State Library, KK City Hall office and car park, the Women and Children’s Clinic and the Chong Thien Vun Park, will be taken over for re-development.
“All that the people want is for the chief minister to guarantee that the High Court, library and adjoining lands in the city centre will be permanently preserved for public purpose,” he said in a statement.
Yong was speaking in response to Deputy Chief Minister Dr Yee Moh Chai’s claim that he was misleading the people on the matter as no development plan had been submitted to City Hall.
Yee said that the land is under the jurisdiction of the federal government and the state government was offering a new site at Bukit Punai to the federal government to build a new court house “since the present High Court building was undergoing renovation”.
Yong, however, dismissed Yee’s explanation saying: “Everybody knows that by the time the developer submits the development plan to DBKK for approval, it would already be too late to save the land for public purpose because by then the company would have acquired legally binding rights over the land.”
He said this could be seen in the recent takeover of the 59.21-acre state railway reserve land at Kapayan by a KL developer.
Yee’s ignorance
“Did they submit any development plan to City Hall first, or was the company granted land rights before the plan was submitted to City Hall?” he asked.
He said Yee’s argument that a new court house was being built in Bukit Punai since the present High Court building was undergoing renovation was puzzling.
“Does Yee mean that after the renovations of the existing High Court building, the High Court will be re-located back again from Bukit Punai?”
He said something similar was said when the government announced the relocation of the City Library to make way for the High Court.
“Later it was revealed that the High Court too would be moved away instead.
“This was only made known to the public by ex-chief minister Harris Salleh on June 20 and confirmed by Chief Minister Musa Aman on June 22 this year. So, what will happen to both the High Court land and the library land?
He said the people’s memories are still fresh over the proposed plans to relocate the KK central market and the issue of the Atkinson Clock Tower.
“It is reliably learnt that the high-rise commercial project adjoining the Atkinson Tower will be restarted after the coming general election.
“If not for the heritage conservation status granted to the Atkinson Tower in 1997/98 under the Cultural Heritage Conservation Enactment 1997, the Atkinson Clock Tower would have disappeared,” he said.
Yee Mok Cai, spokesman for BN-Umno?
ReplyDeleteKalau betul pun, apa yang tidak betul? Datuk Yee Moh chai memang orang dibawah parti BN.
DeleteA Scottish resistance rhyme about land grabs & independence
Deletehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Douglas,_Lord_of_Douglas
“ Sir, you see,
How the English tyrant forcibly
Has dispossessed me of my land
And you are made to understand
That the earl of Carrick claims to be
The rightful king of this country.
The English, since he slew that man,
Are keen to catch him if they can;
And they would seize his lands as well
And yet with him I faith would dwell!
Now, therefore, if it be your will,
With him will I take good or ill.
Through him I hope my land to win
Despite the Clifford and his kin.
”
—The Brus, John Barbour
Scotland to have referendum vote in 2014 after 300 years of English rule.
We should not wait that long!
I hope the KK court won't be relocated to somewhere so dead far.
Deletewhats wrong with that?After all he is one of BN's
DeleteDatuk Yee Mok Chai memang ahli BN, apa masalah dengan itu. Kadang2 suka cakap main lepas sahaja.
Deleteharus mengkaji sama ada harus dipindah.
DeleteKenapa ni semua pun mau dipindah??
DeleteUMNO GUARANTEES ARE WORTH ZERO, ZILCH & ZNOTHING!
ReplyDeleteThen why SAPP want their guarantees if it is worth Zero, Zilch and Znothing?
DeleteLearn a new word today-Znothing, never have I seen this word before.
If so, that means SAPP is the dumb one for demanding Chief Minister's guarantee.
DeleteGuarantees? Hard to promise one.
Deleteassurance is what they should demand.
DeleteEven the oppositions are talking bullshits too.
DeleteUMNO IS A MENDACIOUS DICTATORIAL GOVERNMENT WHICH RULES BY DECREE & FIAT ACCOMPLIs
ReplyDeleteUMNO will settle this soon.
DeleteCome on, SAPP is already exists in the mid 90s, why have to make such a huge fuss over this?
DeleteIf that is all the people wanted, the Chief Minister only needs to give guarantee that the lands will be reserve for public use. Easy peasy.
ReplyDeletejaminan harap akan diberikan, jadi tak timbul lagi isu ini.
DeleteBNUmno administration under Datuk Musa Haji Aman, has shown
Deletetremendous economic developments for the State too, and its forest policy is also considered as one of the best in the region if not in the world
I'm sure the govt will protect the people's right, SAPP can save their critics for next time.
DeleteThe thing is, SAPP is getting so emotional about this.What say you?
DeleteSAPP no need to make this into a big deal. Better to discuss this matter peacefully if they want guarantee from the cm.
DeleteSAPP knows their chances to win in this coming GE is little. Therefore, they are trying hard to get the people's attention.
DeleteKita tunggulah dan lihat penjelasan daripada Datuk Musa Aman mengenai isu ini.
ReplyDeleteharap penjelasan akan diberikan.
Deletebealiu pasti akan menjaga hak rakyat.
DeleteMemang sudah diperkatakan dahulu bahawa bangunan ini akan dipindah berikutan kesesuaian tempat itu.
DeleteWith the election coming, i doubt MA will relocate the buildings.
DeleteLet see how the arrangement could be.
DeleteSuara rakyat perlu diambilkira.
Deletebiarlah isu ini diselesaikan dengan sebaiknya.
DeleteBN has a good track record and has been proven capable of implementing development and safeguarding the future of the people, especially those in need.
ReplyDeleteSAPP is shitting everywhere with their comments and complaints, give us a break, won't you.
DeleteE-kasih and BR1M are on its way to help them out.
DeleteSAPP is purposely making BN look bad in the eyes of the media.
DeleteWhatever BN do is always the sake of development and safeguarding the people's future. Im sure if SAPP is the government, they would do the same too.
DeleteItu lah kerja pembangkang, asyik buat isu sahaja.
DeleteSekurang-kurangnya ada hasil yang kerajaan tunjukkan daripada pembangkang yang hanya tahu mengkritik.
DeleteBN masih parti yang kukuh dan berpengalaman.
DeleteKerajaan cuba sedaya untuk membantu dan memberi yang terbaik untuk rakyat.
DeletePastia ada penyelesaian kepada masalah yang dihadapi. Kerajaan tidak akan membiarkan rakyatnya berhadapan dengan masalah yang menganggu kehidupan harian mereka.
ReplyDeletesebarang masalah itu pasti ada jalan penyelesaiannya.
DeleteKeadaan pasti tidak terkawal jika masalah ini berterusan, tidak ada masalah yang tidak dapat diselesaikan.
ReplyDeleteMA pasti akan memberi penjelasan berkenaan dengan hal ini, kita tunggu sahaja.
ReplyDeletesebaiknya tunggu penjelasan dari pihak berkaitan pasal isu ini.
DeleteBN will not do things that will jeopardize its position.
ReplyDeleteSAPP saja untuk menarik perhatian.
ReplyDeleteMungkin ada lagi tempat yang sesuai ditempatkan bangunan yang terjejas itu.
ReplyDeletetiba-tiba pula isu ini jadi hangat, tapi sapp hanya hangatkan isu tanpa cari penyelesaian.
ReplyDeleteharap isu ini tidak digunakan untuk kepentingan politik sesetengah pihak.
ReplyDeletebagaimana jika benar bangunan itu tidak selamat dan tidak cukup luas? adakah sapp akan bertanggungjawab sekiranya berlaku apa2 yang tidak diingini??
ReplyDelete