Defiant Tawau developers fence up area
19/09/2005 Daily Express
 
Tawau: The developers, who have been asked to stop their project to develop the open space at Sabindo here by the State Cabinet, have fenced up the area.

A check by Daily Express Sunday saw the defiant developers also carrying out piling works.

The "stop work" order to the developers was made at a State Cabinet meeting recently, in compliance with the Government's policy that there must be open spaces in town areas as well as adjacent to housing estates.

Local Government and Housing Minister, Datuk Hajiji Mohd Noor, said last Thursday that the Tawau Municipal Council (TMC) had been directed to stop the development works, being implemented by two contractors, with immediate effect.

He also said the Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) was free to conduct investigations to detect any irregularity in the approval by the local authority of the development of the Sabindo open space.

The project is a joint venture between TMC and a private company under an agreement signed in 1996.

The open space, used every Sunday by locals to sell their farm produce, was yesterday (Sunday) found to have been fenced up using zinc sheets.

On Saturday, local activist Jimmy Wong said the "open space issue" is a very serious problem that should involve the intervention of higher authorities, other than TMC.

He said the Government should form a special committee involving the Chief Minister and his three Deputy Chief Ministers to resolve the problem and, at the same time, redeem public confidence.