KOTA KINABALU: Luyang assemblyman Hiew King Cheu has suggested that the conceptual design and land usage of the proposed redevelopment of the Tanjong Aru Beach here be made available for public viewing and comments.
He said the whole proposed redevelopment stretching from the first beach to the end of the third beach next to the Kota Kinabalu International Airport runway, including the land previously used for the civil servant quarters, should be opened to receive public opinions and comments before it is finalised for implementation.
“At least this will provide the people in the State Capital an opportunity to have some say over the final outlook of their precious beachfront, whether they want to preserve it as a natural heritage. Besides, maintaining the green environment is also be very a important consideration.
“It would also be advisable to include other recreational facilities like water sports, sailing and yachting,” said Hiew, when commenting on Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman’s written reply to his question on the matter at the recent sitting of the State Assembly.
Hiew, who is Sabah DAP advisor, also called on the state government to give more details on the financial arrangement for the redevelopment project.
“Will this (project) incur heavy state funding or is the federal government coming in to grant us a favourable allocation to assist in the said project?” he asked.
Hiew had during the recent State Assembly sitting asked the Chief Minister how the bad condition of Tanjong Aru beach can be upgraded and beautified.
In his written reply, Musa, who is also Finance Minister, disclosed that in the early 2012, the state government had announced the establishment of the Tanjung Aru Regeneration Programme to cover the development of the area in question.
For this purpose, he said, the state government formed the Tanjung Aru Eco Development Sdn. Bhd. (TAED), a wholly owned company of the state government, to oversee and implement the development of the area.
TAED board of directors comprise the Chief Minister as the chairman, and its members are the state secretary, state attorney, permanent secretary to the Ministry of Finance, Kota Kinabalu Mayor and the Land and Survey Director as the executive directors of the company.
To expedite the implementation of the programme, Musa said, an executive committee (exco) was also formed to make decisions on the main operations. The exco members comprise the state secretary, permanent secretary to the Ministry of Finance and other executive directors.
According to Musa, the state government will utilize the expertise and experience from various sectors to ensure the success of the programme. At the same time, international and local consultants have already been appointed and are in the process of preparing a dynamic master plan which would be environmentally friendly and in compliance with the objectives that has been identified.
The re-development of Tanjung Aru Beach is expected to benefit the public in the near future, he said, adding that the state government is optimistic that Tanjung Aru Beach will be successfully transformed as an iconic recreation area.