‘Nature City’ or dying city? Sandakan plagued by urban decay

SANDAKAN – Once dubbed “little Hong Kong”, the town of Sandakan is now dotted with old, run-down buildings, some of which are abandoned.

“Sandakan, the Nature City – so natural that we have trees growing out its buildings’ walls” is a common joke among the locals, referring to buildings that are so run-down that plants and trees have encroached on their walls.

Sandakan town was declared a “Nature City” in 2004 by the then Sabah chief minister Tan Sri Musa Aman.

However, its former glory was lost when people started moving to satellite towns in Mile 4, Mile 6, Mile 7, and Mile 8.

Shops, offices, and even banks started moving away from the town. Large hotels, old and new, shut down for good, not able to survive the pandemic.

There had been plans to restore Sandakan town to its former glory as local politicians vowed to repaint the old buildings, giving a fresh and new look to the town.

Though there have been noticeable efforts from the Sandakan Municipal Council to beautify the town this year, especially with the establishment of the Sandakan Creative Route with attractive paintings adorning buildings’ walls, the run-down appearance of most buildings in town remains the same.

Remy Tony Sulil Majangkim, Gerak Independent representative in Sandakan, described Sandakan town as a dying city, containing old buildings coupled with foul smells emitted throughout the town.

“It used to be a bustling city with a twist of little Hong Kong with a Sabahan identity. (Now) it is common that your car will be sprayed with human waste as the waste drainage has burst due to old age and is blocked by sanitary pads.

“The vegetable traders that plied their trades in the early morning would spray their urine on the stairwell. The drainage throughout the city is blocked and full of trash, most parts broken. That too contributes to the smell of a dying city,” he told The Vibes.

Remy said that while most politicians clamour to bring life back to the city, it is just a mantra for votes without a solid or educated approach to solving these problems.

He stressed that what can be done is to improve the Local Government Ordinance 1961 for Sandakan, and reclaim Sabah’s rights under the Malaysia Agreement 1963, which would give the Sabah government, and thus local authorities, the funds to improve on the town’s image.

“We need to get our rights back. Sandakan has shown a permanent low tide in the economy,” he added.

Meanwhile, Tanjong Papat Kapitan (Chinese community leader) and former deputy president of Sandakan Municipal Council, Thomas Lau told The Vibes that regretfully, the owners of these buildings, who are mostly Chinese, are at fault for this.

He said many building owners have moved to satellite towns and started renting out their properties in town.

Some of them would create partitions in their properties, creating more but smaller rooms so that they can earn more from the rent.

“The problem is that they don’t care about these buildings anymore (after moving away). They don’t care who the tenants are, about the maintenance, hygiene, cleanliness, facilities, and condition of their properties as long as they receive the rent payment monthly,” he said.

Lau said that the homeowners are responsible for ensuring that the buildings are maintained properly, with proper toilets, trash management, and cleanliness.

“Some of these irresponsible homeowners even did illegal partitions in their house, creating smaller rooms. This is against the local authority’s by-law, and the local authority could take action against this.

“Sadly, some rooms are used for crimes such as prostitution. What is worse is that this illegal partition poses risks to tenants; some have no ventilation which is hazardous if fire breaks,” he said.

Lau said that the laws are there for the local authorities to take action, but they are useless if not enforced.

“The local council does not show interest (in taking action). They must do it for the people of Sandakan. Investors would see Sandakan as a place with no potential if old buildings are all they see.

“Only then can they uplift the living standard of the people here, and create an encouraging environment for businesses to grow,” he said. – The Vibes, July 24, 2022