SAPP: Retain land for public purposes

KOTA KINABALU, July 3, 2012: A static protest staged by Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) Api-Api against any proposed commercial development at the Kota Kinabalu High Court,State Library and City Hall Office buildings was participated by about one hundred members at the Taman Chong Thain Vun here today.

SAPP Api Api CLC Chief, Datuk Wong Yit Ming said the State Government must not turn the vacant lots adjacent to Taman Chong Thain Vun into another commercial area.

He said if the area, which is worth millions of ringgit, is used for commercial purposes, it would confirm the suspicion of the people that there is ulterior motive in the earlier move to relocate the City Library to Suria Mall by declaring the building as unsafe.

He reminded that Community Development and Consumer Affairs Minister Datuk Azizah Dun had said before that the shifting of the library operation was to pave the way for the extension of the Kota Kinabalu High Court Complex.

"But not less than a year after that, the Chief Minister announced that the State Cabinet has already approved the shifting of the present High Court Complex to Bukit Punai," he said here Sunday.

"The separate moves by the State Government over the government buildings in prime locations raised the concern of the public especially when these lands are now so valuable" he said.

In this respect, SAPP is holding the static protest to object to any proposed commercial development in this area other than for public purposes, he said. - SAPP