Save Open Space (SOS) Kota Kinabalu coordinator Jefferi Chang.
KOTA KINABALU: A non-governmental organisation has expressed disappointment over the state government’s decision to give the thumbs up for the reclamation of the state capital’s iconic Tanjung Aru beachfront.
Save Open Space (SOS) Kota Kinabalu, which had previously launched public campaigns to save the beach, had also told Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor to put a halt to the project.
"We are sad to learn that the state government under the leadership of Hajiji has decided to restart the reclamation project at Tanjung Aru beach," said SOS Kota Kinabalu coordinator Jefferi Chang.
In a statement on Wednesday (Jan 4), Chang said that while there were still no details regarding the reclamation project from the government, it was however obvious that it will follow the approved and gazetted Tanjung Aru Eco-Development (TAED) development local plan.
"In the plan, we are going to see more than 180ha of sea filled in and it will radically alter the natural line of the beach and replace it with a man-made beach for resorts and golf courses.
"Hajiji explained that the reclamation deal was to expand the 8.9ha Prince Philip Park to 40.4ha.
"Such a promise cannot be taken seriously in view of the old promises made with regard to the promised Sutera Harbour public space and the limit on the waterfront reclamation during the Barisan Nasional government, of which Hajiji was part of the cabinet then as a minister," he added.
Hajiji had said on Tuesday (Jan 3) that the Sabah government had given the green light for the reclamation but this must come out with development plans under the TAED project.
The Chief Minister confirmed that the government had agreed to a 15-year contract to mine and dredge sand for the reclamation of the beachfront in efforts to widen it.
He said that though plans had yet to be proposed and decided on the Tanjung Aru development, the sand dredging contract was signed to allow for the reclamation of the beachfront and not the development.
Chang recalled that in 2021, Deputy Chief Minister-cum-State Works Minister Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin announced that the TAED would not involve any land reclamation activities.
TAED had recently signed a contract with Handal Borneo Resources Sdn Bhd, a subsidiary of Handal Energy for extraction and sales of marine sea sand at the Sunken Barrier Shoal, Hayter Shoal and Bunbury Shoal northwest of the city.
According to news reports, 153 million cubic metres of sand would be mined for reclamation projects and recreational beaches.
Towards this end, Chang urged Hajiji to act to stop the reclamation deal and plan.
"Repeal the TAED development local plan and return the land to Kota Kinabalu City Hall (DBKK) to plan, manage and maintain.
"Under DBKK, the council incorporated the first to the third beach (at Tanjung Aru beach) into a single beach, which made it the biggest beach park in Sabah if not Malaysia," he said.
He added that Prince Philip Park could be expanded in such a way as to allow for more health and recreation activities and also to build more public space facilities for social and community events.
Chang also proposed that the remaining land beyond the Jalan Airport Lama be gazetted as an extension for the Tanjung Aru township with environment-friendly and sustainable planning.
"The Tanjung Aru township expansion is way better as it benefits locals than the unrealistic, oversized, over-ambitious and over-budgeted TAED plan.
"The last election (in 2018) showed that Tanjung Aru voters rejected the TAED plan. Unfortunately, the Parti Warisan-led government did not fulfil its promise (to scrap the project).
"The public needs to show solidarity once more if they want to keep and protect their beach," he said.
The TAED, a proposed multi-billion ringgit tourism development plan, was launched by the then-Barisan-led state government in 2016.
But, the project remains controversial and subsequent state governments have yet to come out with clear plans for the area.
Since taking over the state government in 2020, Hajiji said that the initial plans were for TAED to be downsized.
