KOTA KINABALU – The management of Centre Point Sabah shopping mall (CPS Management Corporation) has clarified that the funds allocated for a project to link the mall to the KK Skybridge have been used to provide service charge rebates for its tenants this year.
In a circular from the management to business owners in the mall last Thursday, CPS Management Corporation president Megan Lau said the mall has given RM1,435,974 worth of service charge rebates to all business owners in the mall this year to ease their cash flow burden.
“We have prepared a budget solely for this project (to link Centre Point to KK Skybridge).
“However, following the unstable situation caused by the Covid-19 pandemic starting from the first nationwide lockdown in March last year, it has been difficult to outsource the project to a contractor.
“With sales declines that have affected our business operators since then, the management has decided to give the allocated fund for the project to compensate business owners in the mall,” Lau said.
The 400m controversial KK Skybridge, which was opened to pedestrians last Wednesday, connects Asia City, the Api-Api commercial centre, Warisan Square and Oceanus Mall.
The structure is equipped with escalators, air conditioning, kiosks and facilities for the disabled.
However, social media users in the state capital expressed their dissatisfaction that a portion of the bridge connecting to the popular Centre Point Sabah mall is yet to be completed, following the shopping centre owner’s purported refusal to allow the state government to conduct necessary work.
Lau also clarified that the bridge was not linked to the mall because it was not part of the initial Skybridge project.
“It was not until the construction of the Skybridge pillar was built in front of Centre Point.
“The management had then taken the initiative to work with Kota Kinabalu City Hall on this project at our own cost, which other malls did not need to bear,” Lau said.
As such, Lau said, the management is proposing to delay the construction to link the mall to the KK Skybridge until next year.
Lau said that if the management proceeds with the project, the mall will no longer be able to provide service charge rebates to tenants in the mall.
“We understand that the impact from the pandemic have caused great loss of income to all businesses, hence the management prefers to prioritise taking care of our business operators and to help their businesses stay afloat.
“Since the pandemic has hit the tourism industry as well, we see that the KK Skybridge linked to our mall will not be of much help to our business operators. Therefore, the management proposes the project be put on hold until next year,” she added.
In the notice, tenants were asked to provide feedback on the proposal by Monday, failing which, the management assumes the tenants’ agreement with the plan to resume the project next year. – The Vibes, September 11, 2021
