DAP: Why did Rubin sign away church, school lands?
Published on: Thursday, March 05, 2015
Kota Kinabalu: DAP Sabah Organising Secretary Junz Wong has questioned the joint-venture development priority set by the Sabah Housing and Town Development Authority (SHTDA) in order to survive.Wong, who is Likas Assemblyman, has no qualms about the reply from SHTDA Chairman Datuk Rubin Balang that the agency was fully dependent on joint-venture projects in order to generate funds and cover its operational cost that had reached RM20 million annually."(But) how far would SHTDA go in order to survive? Is it to the extent of ignoring ordinances and by-laws?ADVERTISEMENT "Can SHTDA take away residential open space and primary school, church lands just because it has to depend on the joint-venture project to survive?" he asked here Wednesday.The most pertinent question now is why did Rubin sign the joint-venture agreement to develop two pieces of land titled under CL015533258 and CL015585065 knowing very well that these two lands have been designated for a primary school and a church and the remaining areas for residential open space, asked Wong. According to him, the designated purposes were clearly stated in the SHTDA Kepayan Ridge Master Plan.He said another question that Rubin needs to answer was if SHTDA had really gone through all the proper procedures to secure the joint-venture project then "why did City Hall's last public consultation (on the project) show otherwise?" ADVERTISEMENT Wong said if what Rubin said was true, then the area should have been zoned as a low-density residential zone.Instead the project site apparently was still zoned as ridge conversation and open space.
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"Since SHTDA has to depend on joint-venture projects to survive then does this mean its land bank is aimed for such projects for quick gain?" he asked."Many land banks such as those along Jalan Inanam Laut have even been used to build commercial high rise buildings," claimed Wong, adding this has defeated the purpose of establishing SHTDA in the first place. "SHTDA used to build successful good projects such as the six pillar low-cost detached house at Kepayan, Beaufort, Keningau as well as affordable shops and township such as the Donggongon Township. "What is happening to SHTDA's priority now?" he asked. In this respect, Wong said if Rubin is unable to run SHTDA efficiently in line with its objective of building low-cost houses and at the same time keep a healthy financial account then he should consider stepping down and let others more capable to do it.Rubin, in responding to Wong's statement in the Daily Express on Feb 10 calling on the Ministry of Local Government and Housing to set up a special committee to investigate the approval of the SHTDA project at Austral Park, said SHTDA when was incorporated in 1967 as a government agency its main mission was to plan and implement public housing as well as develop new township in Sabah."As a committed government agency, SHTDA is providing affordable homes and functional township such as the Kepayan Ridge subject to availability of land, basic infrastructures, fund and others," he said.As the SHTDA had been instructed by the Government to be independent, the agency totally depends on income from its joint-venture projects to cover its operational cost, he said.Rubin also said that as a government agency that practised an open and investor-friendly policy, any quarters could apply to develop state land owned by SHTDA, be it for joint-venture development, low-cost housing or for other purposes allowed by the SHTDA Enactment."SHTDA cannot just leave its lands idle to the extent of inviting the mushrooming of squatter colonies that only complicates as well as causes an eyesore to the city's surrounding," he said.Rubin said all the proposed joint-venture development submitted to the SHTDA was prepared by professional consultants and the land cost had been evaluated based on the current value by accredited quantity surveyors.Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
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All proposals are also subjected to approval by the Central Board based on comments from the local authorities as well as agencies like Fire Department, SESB, Water Department, Drainage and Irrigation Department, Health Department, Environment Department and Public Works Department."Therefore, nobody can force me to make the decision to approve or otherwise," he said.