Pandikar Amin Mulia
KOTA KINABALU: Tanjung Aru Eco Development Sdn Bhd (TAEDSB) Chairman dismissed rumours that Tanjung Aru Beach and Prince Philip Park will be privatised and turned into high-scale residential areas and hotels.
“Since day one, we have reassured the public that Tanjung Aru Beach and Prince Philip Park will remain open and accessible to them. However, we understand that there have been rumours circulating that the beach and public park will be privatised and turned into high-scale residential areas and hotels. That is simply not accurate,” he said.
He said the main role of TAEDSB is to ensure that the beach and public park remain clean and well-maintained to be enjoyed by the public.
Since its inception in 2013, TAEDSB has been the subject of tough scrutiny due to the sensitive nature of Tanjung Aru Beach and Prince Philip Park are a national public treasure.
The main concern of the public has been whether or not the beach and park will remain public under TAED.
There has also been a question of whether or not it will be developed and sold off to rich developers, leaving the locals with limited open space to enjoy.
In light of this, the TAEDSB management, led by Pandikar and General Manager Datuk Jake Jikulin Nointin has organised a leisurely Majlis Santai Peduli Rakyat open house to get closer to the main public and to reassure them that their concerns are heard and taken into account.
It is hoped that the Majlis Santai Peduli Rakyat will remove the barrier between the people and TAEDSB and help them understand more about TAEDSB’s project.
The Majlis Santai Peduli Rakyat open house features more than 30 food stations offering a smorgasbord of local and international cuisines, as well as an array of interesting activities for the public such as games, a kids’ corner and also over 40 booths for local entrepreneurs to showcase their products.
The event also featured a live band from Lembaga Kebudayaan Sabah (LKNS) along with a lineup of popular local singers who entertained the public with their energetic performances.
Among the highlights of the event was the lucky draw, which offered over RM10,000 worth of prizes to be won, including several units of Modenas motorcycles, several units of bicycles as the main prizes, and several units of television sets, plus units of hampers worth RM50 each and many others.
The Majlis Santai Peduli Rakyat open house was attended by Chief Minister Datuk Seri Haji Hajiji Haji Noor, Sabah Deputy Chief Minister III cum Works Minister Datuk Ir. Shahelmey Yahya and Kota Kinabalu City Mayor Datuk Seri Dr. Sabin Samitah, as well as Tan Sri Sukarti bin Wakiman, former Sabah State Secretary and Board of Directors (BoD) member of TAEDSB.
Officiated by Sabah Head of State Tun (Dr) Juhar Mahiruddin, the public was entertained by renowned local emcees and entertainers, Abu Bakar Elah, Ebi Kornelis and Aween.
