KOTA KINABALU: The Sabah government does not see a problem in allowing public access to all areas of the Tanjung Aru beach here until a development plan is in place.
Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor said this at the Sabah assembly sitting yesterday when asked by Datuk Junz Wong (Warisan-Tanjung Aru) about the matter.
Wong, among others, said they wanted full access because some of the areas including the section called the Third Beach, where people used to camp and picnic, had been sealed off.
Hajiji said he would inform Tanjung Aru Eco-Development Sdn Bhd (TAED) about giving the public full access to the beach.
TAED, a state-owned company set up to redevelop the iconic beach since 2016, has come under public criticism of late.
Many had claimed that Tanjung Aru beach was fast becoming a wasteland with TAED only imposing parking fees and selling hawker space at the beach since it took over the Second and Third Beach sections, including the Prince Philip Park, from Kota Kinabalu City Hall in 2021.
Amid the public complaints, TAED chairman Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia said that access was blocked to discourage people from swimming in the area due to poor water quality, as advised by its environmental assessment consultant. Furthermore, he said the Tanjung Aru police had also advised them that a closure of the area would help control illicit activities in the area at night.
