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SANDAKAN – Reeling from being swindled of their much-needed parking area in Sabindo here, the people of Sandakan have the right to know what becomes of the now commercial lot, which has been abandoned for the past 10 years, said DAP Sri Tanjong assemblyman Justin Wong. Wong said that the Sabah government owes the public an explanation on the status of the commercial lot, which was constructed halfway and has now become a hotspot for drug addicts and the homeless.
“This is an open space that was supposed to serve as a desperately needed parking space in town due to insufficient parking problems that are becoming worse by the day.
“It is a building you must pass if you come to Tawau town. Not only is it an eyesore to the public, it has also become a place where drug addicts converge. It has become a social problem,” he told a press conference in the Elopura DAP office here recently.
The controversy surrounding the Sabindo shoplot started in 2004 when the state government at the time decided to build a commercial building on a 2,428mᶟ open space under a joint venture between the Tawau Municipal Council (TMC) and developer companies Aggasf Construction Sdn Bhd and Jeramas Sdn Bhd.
The case was taken to court by a group of plaintiffs including former Sri Tanjong rep Jimmy Wong Sze Phin between 2006 and 2017, who fought for the construction of the commercial building against the Ordinance of Town and Country Planning, which requires 10% of open space in each township.
Wong claimed that the Federal Court deemed the development plan, which was presented on October 13, 2004 unlawful, illegal, and unenforceable in 2017.
However, both TMC and the developer had not demolished the structure, leaving the half-built shoplot abandoned in the middle of Tawau town.
The issue however resurfaced after Wong claimed to have acquired new documents that prove the state government plans to continue developing the abandoned structure next year.
His office has acquired a copy of a land registry from the Sabah Land and Survey Department that says the construction of the commercial building must be completed before January 2023.
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Earlier, Wong had also acquired a document proving that the Sabah government had changed the status of the land from an open space to commercial land, which makes the law requiring a development plan to set aside 10% of open space inapplicable to this case.
In a recent state assembly sitting, Wong asked Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor, who was also the state local government and housing minister at the time of the development, on the matter, but did not receive an answer.
“I challenge Hajiji to clarify this matter with the people of Tawau. The state government should at least send a representative to speak on this, like the current Local Government and Housing Minister Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun.
“Are the government and TMC going to proceed with the project? If so, will the same developer that had been ordered by the high court to reinstate the open space and demolish the structure be reappointed again?
“The people of Tawau deserve to know,” he said.
Wong said he had also sent a letter demanding clarification from TMC.
“I am disappointed with TMC as it is supposed to serve as a protector of the people of Tawau. How can a local council get involved with a joint venture with a private company to construct a commercial property? It is not right,” he said.
Wong said the best-case scenario for the people of Tawau is if the government demolishes the structure and reinstates the open space as a parking space.
“I think it would be acceptable if they build a multi-storey car park on the land. Otherwise, they are only going to make the problem worse by adding shops in the area,” he added. –The Vibes, December 20, 2021
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