KOTA KINABALU: An environmental group has urged the Sabah government to get the public’s feedback on its multi-billion-ringgit skytrain project for the state capital.
Sabah Environmental Protection Association (Sepa) president Alexander Yee said the people must be allowed to scrutinise any project of such a huge scale.
He told FMT that Sepa was surprised by the government’s decision to undertake the project instead of opting for a more user-friendly system such as buses.
“But we are glad that the state is finally looking into a public transportation system,” he said. “As such, we ask for public consultation and transparency in this proposed development.”
According to reports, the project will be carried out in two phases, the first spanning 10.5km from the Kota Kinabalu International Airport to the city centre and Jesselton New City. This is expected to take three years to build at a cost of RM1 billion.
Jesselton New City is a 64ha mixed commercial development complex to be located near the Sabah International Convention Centre in Likas Bay.
The second phase, which will cost RM1.4 billion and also take three years, will span 15km, running from Jesselton New City to government administrative buildings, Universiti Malaysia Sabah and commercial and residential areas in Likas.
Deputy chief minister Bung Moktar Radin recently witnessed the signing of a four-way partnership deal on the project. The four parties are Vizione Construction Sdn Bhd, Sycal Skycity Sdn Bhd, Guangcai China (M) Sdn Bhd and Warisan Harta Sdn Bhd, which is a subsidiary of state investment arm Qhazanah Sabah Bhd.
On reclamation at Likas Bay, Yee said he trusted the state government to use wise judgment, noting that it had once rejected a similar proposal on various grounds.
“One of the reasons was the lack of public consultation and we certainly trust that history provides valuable lessons for administrators to develop Sabah,” he said.
“But we emphasise the importance of conducting an environmental impact assessment and making the findings public.”
Yee also said Sepa was seeking the state tourism, culture and environment ministry’s consent to reinstate the group into the Environmental Action Committee, a forum in which stakeholders provide the government with views on various projects undertaken by the state.
Nicolas Pilcher, a marine biologist, told FMT he believed the skytrain and Jesselton New City projects would cause only minor environmental concerns, but he called for a serious look at waste management.
“Where will all the sewage and solid waste go after development?” he asked.
“The area is far enough away from dive spots that it will likely not have an impact. But what about public access to the coast? Those interested in recreational fishing and picnic enthusiasts flock to this area.
“Environmental concerns always have to compromise with development. But when is enough really enough? It is not any one single development but the cumulative impact. If our leadership does not prioritise the environment and set an example, how can we expect the public to follow?”
Pro-environment academic James Alin said the two projects would ease traffic congestion and provide job opportunities.
However, he voiced some concern over the plan to build the 64ha Jesselton New City, saying it would most likely involve coastal reclamation work, which could affect the Tunku Abdul Rahman marine park, located about 3km from the state capital.
Alin also said he felt Bung’s understanding of environmental impact assessments was faulty. He was referring to a report saying the deputy chief minister had guaranteed that the reclamation work would not affect the marine ecosystem.
“The EIA is not a tool to approve projects but to analyse the projects’ impact now and in the future as well as propose alternatives that are less harmful to the environment,” he said.
Sabah DAP secretary Phoong Jin Zhe recently questioned the government over the projects, saying he feared that they might end up as white elephants if there was no proper planning.
He also said the government must disclose the capabilities and backgrounds of the private companies involved in the projects. - FMT
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.