More PPR Units Needed to
Resolve Squatter Issue in Sabah
RM115 Billion Eco-City for Kota Belud?
long fireworks display at
Pekan Nabalu, the same
evening. If all goes well,
the tendering of the works
is expected to be called
by April to be up and
running by the fifth year of
construction.
The town of Kota Belud north of Kota Kinabalu
Sembulan along Jalan Coastal Highway
Housing units under the
People’s Housing Project
(PPR) are insufficient to
cater to the number of
squatters recorded by
local authorities.
Chief Minister Datuk
Seri Musa Aman said
an extimated 38,000
squatter families are
still occupying state
government land and
private land. He said this
is despite the 23,126
units of PPR built by the
end of the 10th Malaysia
Plan (10MP).
“In line with the federal
government objective,
the state government
through the Sabah
Housing and Local
Government Ministry has
set an objective under
the 10MP to reduce and
eradicate squatters, and
provide homes for all
squatter and low-income
families.
“Sabahans hope that
more PPR homes are
built to meet demands
and reach the national
housing objective, which
is one family one home,”
he said at Lintas Sibuga
PPR project hand over
ceremony.
Musa received the PPR
project on behalf of the
state government from
Urban Wellbeing, Housing
and Local Government
Minister Datuk Abdul
Rahman Dahlan.
He said the state
government will submit
an application to the
federal government
to build 10,000 more
PPR units to those
constructed under 10MP.
Musa reminded
prospective PPR
recipients to maintain
safety, cleanliness and
beauty of their homes to
foster neighbourliness,
comaraderie and unity
among residents.
Government efforts in
providing the PPR homes
proved the commitment
and concern of the BN
government in providing
comfort for the people.
Believe it or not, Malaysia’s
first eco-city (Clean
sustainable living on local
environment means and
conservation) is planned to
be located at Kadamaian
in the Kota Belud district of
Sabah.
The proposed eco-city is
envisaged to have various
facilities, all linked with a
cable car system, monorail
and integrated transport
around a man-made lake
with an ambience of Venice,
dotted with hotels, housing,
hospital and a golf course.
Among other facilities are
a F1 standard motor race
track, three universities,
sports city, education
hub and business hub,
benefiting a targeted
population of 100,000 and
15,000 transient visitors
and varsity students.
Former Kadamaian
Assemblyman Datuk
Herbert Lagadan is excited
about how to realise also
Sabah’s first eco-city in his
former power base.
To be known as Gaur EcoCity, its has an estimated
GDV of RM115 billion on
more than 5,000 acres of
undulating land that will
put Sabah on the global
eco-city tourism map for
fine peaceful living in an
intellectual hub with a
population growth rate
projected at three per cent.
“I was in Jakarta, with its
multicultural village, which
should be a featurein the
Gaur Eco-City. I will speak
to UiTM management
to base their technology
university within the Gaur
Eco-City.
The villagers all along the
area will be involved as
Sabah Parks is applying
for Sabah’s first Geo Park
status for Kinabalu,” he told
Daily Express.
The other two varsities
planned are a medical
health science university
and an investment financebusiness centric university.
Still in the conceptoal stage,
the Gaut Eco-City, which
will have a 30km cable car
gondola system costing
RM15 billion covering 20
villages along the foothills
of Mount Kinabalu, will
be presented to the Kota
Belud District Development
Committee on January 20 at
the Sabah State Assembly
on the request of Speaker
Datuk Salleh Tun Said.
Salleh is an advisor of
the Kota Belud District
Development Committee
and had asked for the
presentation to be
postponed from the
scheduled Jan 13 meeting
to Jan 20 as he is overseas.
He is expected to launch
the start of the project
feasibility studies at Pekan
Nabalu, which is one of the
cable car system terminals
of the project, on Feb 18.
Sabah Tourism Culture
and Environment Minister
Datuk Masidi Manjun is
expected to close the
one-day 10am to 10pm
event, with a half-hour
The companies involved
are Braxton Group of
companies, Blazetron Ltd of
UK and HMD Corporation
headed by CEO Bernadette
Peter and Senior General
Manager Boniface Mosios,
with venture financing
to be arranged by Dr
Harrey M. Dauwat, a
corporate member of the
International Entrepreneurs
Association.
The Gaur Eco-City
concept was drawn up by
consultant Herlina Abdul
Aziz of Enviro Enhance
Sdn Bhd, a firm registered
with the Federal Ministry of
Finance for environmental
consultancy services.
According to Dr Harrey
M. Dauwat, the cable car
gondola system will be a
tourism product as well
as public transportation
that might eventually link
up to Kota Marudu in later
phases.
“It will be the longest in
the world and among the
best in Asia,” he enthused,
promising new housing for
poor villagers to improve
the scenery for foreign
tourists.
“No slopes or streams
would be cut or disturbed
in the construction as the
cable car poles follow the
topography terrain.”
If these interested parties
realistically have their
ways with readily available
viable financing and their
plans approved by the
authorities, Sabah may
get to host Malaysia’s first
eco-city at what is deemed
as Sabah’s last natural
unspoilt mythical ShangriLa-like ambience at the
foothill of Kinabalu.
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