THE MOVE to redevelop Sabah’s idyllic Tanjung Aru beach has taken a major turn as the controversial reclamation plan to expand its coastlines will now be put on hold.
Tanjung Aru Eco-Development Sdn Bhd (TAED) which was given the authority to oversee the upgrading of the popular beach, to be branded as Tanjung Aru Eco-Park, will now focus first on the redevelopment of the Prince Philip Park without any reclamation work involved.
Its chairman Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia said that it would take time to follow and complete the original 2016 TAED masterplan.
He said that the best solution is to start off with the public park first.
“We will no longer take account of the proposals from big companies. What we will do is to upgrade the park first because this is the request of the people of Sabah.
“When we deal with the park first it will dispel all negative perceptions that might affect the present government,” he told reporters at a press conference in Kota Kinabalu today.
The original Tanjung Aru Eco Park project was established in 2016 with TAED, a government-owned ciompany, assigned as the project proponent.
But it was unable to fully commence due to a stalemate between state government and the local environmental groups, leaving the park in a run-down state and its facilities becoming dilapidated over a period of time.
The beach’s redevelopment plan covered some 340ha, doubling the Tg Aru beach park’s size to about 30ha.
It was estimated to cost RM7.1 billion at the point of time. This was to include the expansion of the 2km coastline to 2.5km.
In January last year, Handal Borneo Resources Sdn Bhd entered into an agreement with TAED for a 15-year sand mining concession for the reclamation of the beach, with the concession areas being the sunken Barrier Shoal, Hayter Shoal and Burnbury Shoal near Kota Kinabalu.
Pandikar said the reclamation matter has now been resolved, maintaining that TAED has studied and concluded that the best way is to develop existing areas first before thinking of reclaiming the beachfront.
“The management felt that by developing the existing areas first, it will also attract big investors due to the positive impacts of the Prince Philip Park. The land value will also be appreciated,” he said.
Under the upgrading of the Prince Philip Park, he explained, the cost will be offset by investments from developing joint ventures with other companies.
A 4.6-acre land where the existing hawkers are running their businesses at present will be placed as equity to investors to build hotels, while the hawkers will be relocated within the Prince Philip Park.
“We have decided to move away from striking up ventures with another company and they become the master planner for the whole Tanjung Aru beach,” he said. – The Vibes, February 23, 2024
