KOTA KINABALU: City Hall demonstrates high professionalism and transparency as a local authority under the Chief Minister’s Department.
Assistant Minister to the Chief Minister Datuk Edward Yong Oui Fah said City Hall had carried out Draft Kota Kinabalu Local Plan 2020 workshops since 2007, as well as exhibited the proposed draft.
This shows that City Hall was not doing things behind the people’s back, but rather to work towards the well-being of the people in Kota Kinabalu, he said.
Yong, who is also the minister in charge of City Hall, said this when officiating at the Draft Kota Kinabalu Local Plan 2020 Workshop at the Promenade Hotel here yesterday.
“Today’s workshop demonstrated City Hall, a local authority under Chief Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Musa Haji Aman’s Chief Minister’s Department, is practising professionally and transparently, especially for the sake of the stakeholders’ well-being and future generations to enjoy Kota Kinabalu City as the ‘Nature Resort and Maritime City.”
Yong said the government was very responsible and put the people as their top consideration, as reflected in the preparation of the local draft plan where City Hall took into consideration the objections and complaints on the plan.
“The government, under the leadership of Datuk Seri Panglima Musa Haji Aman, has shown that the preparation of all the documents, including the developments, was done transparently.”
He said the new statutory planning document of the Draft KK Local Plan 2020 and its memorandum was prepared in accordance with Section 6 of the Town and Country Planning Ordinance, Sabah Cap. 141.
Under this ordinance, the Draft KK Local Plan 2020 adopted by the Central Board will officially supersede the old draft schemes, which include the Draft Greater Kota Kinabalu Scheme (1978), Draft Kota Kinabalu Comprehensive Development Plan (1984), and the series of Draft Kota Kinabalu Local Plans (1990).
Once the draft local plan 2020 is adopted by the Central Board, any development plan submissions to City Hall shall be aligned with the new land use and zoning as shown in the Draft Kota Kinabalu Local Plan 2020.
He further said the mandatory public exhibition and objection of the Draft KK Local Plan 2020 was held for a period of four calendar months, starting on September 26, 2011 till January 26, last year.
“During that period, City Hall has received 350 written objections involving about 500 pieces of land titles.”
He said City Hall had analyzed all the 350 public objections and found that these objections ranged from minor technical inconsistencies in the plan, to the request for changes of land use zones, and the most complicated ones which involved compulsory acquisition of lands.
Half of the total objections were considered as minor technical inconsistencies, or ‘formal errors’.
For such ‘formal error’ objections, City Hall has done a fast track amendment without referring to the Hearing Committee Meeting.
Yong added that City Hall had also analyzed approximately 120 objections involving three categories, namely the detention ponds, special residential (ridge conservation) and zoning, which were brought up in the three sessions of the first Hearing Committee Meeting between August and December last year.
The first Hearing Committee Meeting held by City Hall was in line with the provisions of Section 7 of the Town and Country Planning Ordinance, Sabah Cap. 141.
The purpose was to call for any person or public body affected by the Draft KK Local Plan 2020, who has submitted their written objections to City Hall within the public objection period conducted from September 26, 2011 to January 26, last year.
The first hearing was conducted in four sessions. During the first session conducted on August 3 last year, 30 objectors were involved ; session two was conducted on August 16 last year with 46 objectors; session three on September 25 last year with 23 objectors and the final session on December 17 last year involving 20 objectors.
Yong further said City Hall had received feedback and comments from professional bodies and non-government organizations (NGOs) to strengthen the planning policies and standard of the Draft KK Local Plan 2020.
Yong said the workshop gave an opportunity to the relevant professional bodies and NGOs to discuss further their comments and matters of concern to strengthen the planning policies and standard of the Draft KK Local Plan 2020.
“As the minister in charge of City Hall, I hope all participants, professionals from various bodies, NGOs and government agencies, will take this opportunity to work as a team, to contribute ideas to strengthen the planning policies and guidelines of the Draft KK Local Plan 2020.
“This way, the statutory plan can then be practically adopted by City Hall, and lead them to achieve its vision of transforming Kota Kinabalu City as a world class nature resort and maritime city by 2020.”
Meanwhile, Mayor Datuk Abidin Madingkir encouraged the participation of stakeholders to provide their input on the Draft KK Local Plan 2020.
He added that City Hall would be conducting a second hearing in September or October where stakeholders would be invited for a final inspection of the draft local plan before it is forwarded to the Central Board for further consideration.
Also present at the event were City Hall director-general Datuk Yeo Boon Hai and City Planning Department director Alijus Haji Sipil.
