Daily Express, Dec 30.
Kota Kinabalu: DAP wants an explanation from the relevant authorities for the continuing delay in finishing the RM300 million Karamunsing flyover project.
Parliamentary Opposition leader and DAP MP for Ipoh Timur, Lim Kit Siang, said the project’s progress was so slow that an even bigger projects like the world’s highest railway in Tibet whose construction began at about the same time had already been completed.
Describing the handling of the project as scandalous, Lim said repeated promises had been made, the recent one being that it would be completed by the end of this year.
“It is now end of the year but can it be completed in time?” he asked at a Press conference at Promenade Hotel, Saturday.
He said he was told that the project to construct the final section of the world’s highest railway from Golmud to Lahsa at more than 4,000m above sea level, which accounted for 80 per cent of the entire 1,956km track, began at about the same time as the Karamunsing flyover project.
“It has already been completed and being used while the Karamunsing flyover is still ‘flying’.” Towards this end Lim said the people, especially Sabahans, have the right to know the reasons for the delay.
“Why keep making repeated promises and what about the cost? There must be accountability,” he said.
Meanwhile, Lim commended the Tawau Municipal Council (TMC) for admitting that the Sabindo development and encroachment of Tawau open spaces are illegal and invalid.
According to him, he and other DAP leaders had attended several public meetings in Tawau over the issue. His Seputeh colleague, Teresa Kok, had also raised the issue of the lack of municipal good governance “as illustrated by the Sabindo open space scandal” in Parliament.
“I was very uplifted when I was informed by Jimmy Wong (alias Tiger Wong of Tawau) who together with nine other public-spirited Tawau ratepayers had taken TMC to court on the open space development project.
“The Tawau people had achieved a classic and landmark breakthrough in their long, arduous and uphill battle to protect the ‘open spaces’ in Tawau not only for the people of Tawau but also for the people of Sabah and Malaysia,” he said.
He was commenting on reports stating that the TMC, which was named as the second defendant in the suit by the 10 plaintiffs, had agreed to settle the matter amicably on Dec. 20.
It was reported that TMC had agreed to the plaintiffs’ claims among others that the joint-venture agreement between the developers (first defendant) and TMC dated Dec 13 1996 was invalid and ultra vires the Local Government Ordinance 1961.
The TMC had also agreed that the Development Plan for the project that was submitted on Oct. 12, 2004 and approved by it on May 27, 2005 was invalid, illegal and unenforceable.
Towards this end, Lim said the developers should emulate TMC’s move to also reach an amicable win-win settlement for the interests of the people of Tawau.
“I offer my conciliation and mediation services to ensure that Sabindo developers, Jeramas Sdn Bhd and Aggasf Construction Sdn Bhd, the 10 Tawau plaintiffs and all Tawau ratepayers can reach an amicable win-win comprehensive settlement for the interests of all parties”.