KK WATER FRONT, CM POWER IS TOO BIG?

By : DAP MEDIA

THE KOTA KINABALU water front sea land should not opened for the take even though it is under the power of the Chief Minister of Sabah to sign away state land under joint venture basis to private companies with the government.

The authority granted to the chief minister under the Chief Minister (Incorporation) Ordinance (Sabah Cap 23) to empower him to permit the government listed companies (GLC) making Joint Venture Agreement (JVA) with private companies had created much doubts, problems and defaults.

The recent legal suit in court on the 400 acres of KK waterfront sea land had reflected much of its problems and demerits.

The Kota Kinabalu Member of Parliament Hiew King Cheu commented on this issue because there are many more pending and possible cases will surface if this is not handled with due care and diligence by the government and its GLCs. This time the Sabah State government may be lucky to get off the hook, but there is no guarantee that the next time is similarly lucky.

MP Hiew questioned on the logic why in 1997 the then chief minister of Sabah signed out such a huge piece of 400 acres of the KK water front on a joint venture basis to some private companies with its GLC-MLGH Sdn Bhd, and ended up with the private companies suing the state government in return for damages and losses incurred up to a staggering sum of RM1.7 billion. The case had sounded an alarm in the state administration and its procedure in handling the state affairs, and in its administrative procedures.

The approval on the KK water front of up to 400 acres of prime land and sea front was made by the past chief minister and now the present chief minister said there will be no more future development allowed at the KK water front, and we want to know how sure is the Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Musa Aman on this matter.

Will he be able to guarantee that there will not be any more KK water front project to be approved? What happen when the next chief minister who comes into office, more new changes?

The BN state government had caused many problems and now the people are beginning to lose confident in their competency, and wonder on whether they are really managing a clean and straight administration in Sabah. We cannot afford more plunders and defaults in the Sabah Administration, no matter it is in the past or present under the BN rule.

According to reliable sources, a typical example to the case is the 116 acres of the Tanjong Aru Civil Servant Quarters land which was under a JVA, had faced the same faith of having to end up in legal suit and jammed up totally.

This has caused a big piece of the prime state land to become an eye sore and a new forest formed in the beautiful Tg Aru beach area. What should we do now, having up with all these every now and then?

It is time to change all these ‘Managers’ who run the Sabah State administration into jeopardy and difficulties.

- Sabahkini