KOTA KINABALU: Residents in Tanjung Aru are seeing some hope for sustainable development in the area after state Public Works Minister Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin announced that that the Tanjung Aru Eco Development (TAED) project will not involve land reclamation.
Komuniti Indah Tg Aru (KITA) chairman Mansor Abdullah expressed his relief over the announcement of the updated multi-billion ringgit project recently.
“We will sincerely support any move for the benefit of the public such as improving, upgrading and beautifying the Tanjung Aru beach and its surrounding area, ” he said.
“But any plan or proposed developments should not put aside or destroy the natural existing beauty, historical, heritage and value of it, ” he said.
Mansor said the Tanjung Aru beach has always been seen as the people’s beach and appreciated by many, be it locals or tourists.
He said though the detailed version of the latest TAED project has yet to be announced, he hopes and trusts that all those involved including the government, policymakers and developers would put sustainability and the people first.
“Please plan and develop responsibly, ” he said, adding KITA and some of its members will pay Bung a visit to get a better idea about the latest TAED project.
TAED was the project first introduced by the then Barisan Nasional government before GE14.
The project, covering some 340ha, was to have seven hotels with 1,800 rooms, 5,000 apartment and condominium units, marinas and entertainment venues as well as a 133ha golf course.
When Warisan and its allies took over the state government, they decided to keep the project but with some alterations and scaled it down despite earlier saying they would scrap it if they won GE14.
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