KOTA KINABALU: The new Sabah Government's move to scrap the Tanjung Aru Eco Development (TAED) project has received the thumbs up from non-governmental organisation Save Our Open Spaces.
Its spokesman, SM Muthu, said the assurance given by Agriculture and Food Industries Minister Junz Wong was a relief and good news to them.
"We have been trying to fight this and get the TAED to stop their plans for the reclamation of the beach, which was supposed to be turned into some high class residential and hotel area," he said during a press conference at the beach on Tuesday.
Muthu said despite their persistent efforts to get the previous government to stop with the plan, they were disappointed that their concerns fell on deaf ears.
"But now that Wong has said that the TAED will not be proceeding and that the public beach will be returned to the city hall is a major breakthrough for us all," he said.
He said the beach needed proper maintenance in terms of its cleanliness and upgrading of amenities, including toilets, playgrounds and recreational facilities, such as barbeque pits, cycling tracks and so on.
"We can do so much with this beach, make it beautiful and incorporate areas for activities but of course, we need money, but it won't be as expensive and 'eco-destructive'," Muthu said.
He said the beach, being a public area, should continue to be available to be enjoyed by everyone, whether they are rich or poor.
However, he said many people are still concerned about the project, whether it would later be allowed to proceed, as the Chief Minister himself had not come out to make an announcement on its status.
"We hope the Chief Minister can really put our concerns to rest soon," Muthu said.
Meanwhile, City Hall council workers have been carrying out daily clean-ups at the beach since last week.
The site, which was taken over by TAED, was left in a mess after buildings and structures were torn down to make way for the project reclamation works set to start in April last year.
The development project would cover some 340 ha, where resort hotels, residential areas, marinas, entertainment venues, beach clubs and dining areas were planned.
The nearby Prince Philip Park was set to become a rainforest park, where it would accommodate a promenade, walking and cycling tracks and an ecology centre.
Also to be built was a 133ha golf course, seven hotels with 1,800 rooms and 5,000 apartment and condominium units.
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