KOTA KINABALU, Sept 1 — If a drone flew over the city, they would find almost no open spaces left, except for Prince Philip Park, situated along the prime Tanjung Aru beachfront, Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia told Malay Mail in a recent interview.
The former Dewan Rakyat speaker is now the chairman of Tanjung Aru Eco Development (TAED), the state government linked company in charge of developing the 340 hectares of prime location, and has been tasked with Prince Philip Park’s conservation for the sake of future generations.
“It’s the only green space left in the city where the public can go and enjoy nature. So we want to ensure that this space is kept this way and will only be developed in accordance with the guidelines set,” he said.
The Tanjung Aru beachfront is arguably the city’s most popular attraction, famed for its long 2km beachline and sunset views. It sees thousands of visitors both locals and tourists on a daily basis.
In the short term, the park is to undergo a two-year makeover to upgrade facilities which will encompass flood lights, better walkways, toilets, amphitheatre, praying facilities and historical points of interest among others.
“This will be free to the public but there might be fees for some of the attractions. But we intend to enlarge the area and ensure the public has continued access to the park and to the beach with beautiful lights so people can come and walk your dog any time of the day.
“But the only thing is no topless sunbathing,” Pandikar said.
“We had to redo the park because the perception before is that the park is gone, to be replaced by buildings,” he added.
Phase one of TAED’s redevelopment is expected to take two years to complete. It will continue to be open to the public although sections of the park may be closed to facilitate works.
In this phase, the current hawker stalls which are currently situated in some 4.66 acres of super prime beach front land adjacent to Waikiki condominium will be relocated within the next six months to “second beach” to make space for investment opportunities in the form of a hotel or resort that is to be decided.
The highly popular hawker area has been criticised for lack of hygiene cleanliness.
A selection process will be conducted to ensure the new vendors meet the new standards of the upgraded area.
Pandikar who comes from a rural village said growing up there made him appreciate nature and open spaces.
As such he is fully committed to Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor’s vision of a public park.
He said he takes full responsibility in ensuring that the project not only becomes profitable but meets the public’s expectation and environmental interest.
In the long term 15-year plan, the Tanjung Aru shoreline will be reclaimed to some 500 metres to allow a bigger stretch of beach as well as to counter the erosion that has been happening.
The public is expected to then have access to some 100 acres, which includes the park and the beach.
The initial plan for TAED included subdivided land lots earmarked for hotel and resorts, residential, commercial, government and community facilities and infrastructure and utilities development.
In the reviewed master plan for the TAED, several changes were made like the removal of the planned golf course, and maintaining the rugby field.
“But in this plan, although we know it can change according to the needs at the time, several conditions are set. There will not be many big buildings but more parks.
“People complain about everything and we are aware of it. We have been listening and we know that Tanjung Aru belongs to the people.
“But we have to balance the people’s interest with development. For instance, the city needs more hotel rooms to keep up with tourism demand,” Pandikar said.
The entire 15-year plan will also see road changes that, on paper, seeks to address traffic congestion through a one-way loop that goes through the area connected to the coastal highway.
The TAED has been controversially charged since Sabah was under the Barisan Nasional led by then chief minister Tan Sri Musa Aman as well as Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s federal leadership.
Back then, a large-scale ambitious plan to turn Tanjung Aru into a multi-billion ringgit mixed development waterfront complex was announced but scrapped in 2018 when Parti Warisan took over administration due to persistent protest by citizens and environmentalists.
The project was delayed and subsequently turned into a white elephant.
TAED and the project remained a sore issue in 2020, when Hajiji’s Gabungan Rakyat Sabah government took over.