Naysayers going overboard in opposing Tg Aru project
Published on: Sunday, January 08, 2017
Kota Kinabalu: Those bent on criticising the Tanjung Aru Eco Development (TAED) and predicting its failure are doing so prematurely and unfairly."Why the doom and gloom? Why the suspicion? It is almost as if some wish for the project to fail. "They react to the development as if we in the government are completely incompetent and will bulldoze the project without an Environment Impact Assessment (EIA), adherence to by-laws, development plans and simply sideline public interest," Mayor Datuk Yeo Boon Hai (pic) said in a statement, Saturday.
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Yeo said in-depth studies, countless consultations, meticulous planning by experts and professionals in various fields were undertaken even before the launch by Prime Minister Dato' Seri Najib Abdul Razak in 2013. He said it was announced that the master plan had been submitted to City Hall and public consultation would be conducted soon. He said the environmental impact plan for the project (available on the Sabah Government website) is of a very high standard and project development consultant, Savills, was brought in because of their experience in many sensitive land developments throughout the region. At the same time, Yeo said the Special Environment Impact Assessment (SEIA) was also submitted to the Department of Environment (DOE) for approval and that the public could give their feedback through the department.
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"The TAED is a strategic initiative with a master plan emphasising on community facilities, open space and landscaping and is supported by many sustainable environmental features," he said. Addressing the concern of some over the indigenous Aru trees being destroyed during the course of the project, Yeo said efforts would be made to minimise the impact on natural vegetation.
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"We will also work closely with the Sabah Forestry Department to plant more trees. Only trees indigenous to Sabah would be used and 20,000 trees would be planted on the project site."The future park would be twice the size of the present Prince Phillip Park and equipped with state of the art public amenities and recreational facilities. "Hence, please do not speculate that the beach will be closed off to the public. In fact, the beach will be longer and wider, whereby the public will have unfettered access," he said. Yeo said all buildings on the development site would also have to abide by strict standards that comply with the Green Building Index (GBI). Investors would be required to install solar panels and carry out waste and water recycling. "The present water quality is poor because raw sewage used to flow directly into the sea. We are mitigating this problem. Mangrove forests will also be planted to help improve the water quality in the area," he said. [Tg Aru was once noted for its mangroves but no trace of it exists today due to the squatter colony's expansion in Kg Tg Aru Baru and Kg Tg Aru Lama]. He said TAED has received support from professional bodies namely Persatuan Arkitek Malaysia (PAM), Royal Institute of Surveyors, Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Shareda. "The project has also received very good feedback from the Prime Minister's Department via Federal Economic Planning Unit and Sabah Economic Development and Investment Authority (Sedia) at the State level," he said.He said transparency on TAED was clearly demonstrated in the setup of an Information Centre at Perdana Park for public viewing of the project. "The response and feedback has been very positive and the general feedback is that TAED will bring many job opportunities for their children and will have a positive impact on Kota Kinabalu," he said.Yeo said the premature criticisms and speculations have not only led some to question the integrity and credibility of the State Government but the many renowned experts in a wide array of fields that have been engaged. "Worst still, some have resorted to scare mongering that has led to public fear and even distaste for the project. This is highly unfair," he said. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
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