Ellron Angin
KOTA KINABALU: Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Ellron Angin has refuted claims that tenants of Wisma Koperasi Serbaguna Sanya Berhad (Kosan) in Likas were evicted without prior notice.
Ellron in a statement on Sunday disclosed that the tenants were issued the notice of eviction through a letter dated 14th March 2019.
“The eviction period was three months but many of the tenants had requested from Kosan for an extension till December 2019 which was granted.
“Ample time was given to the tenants to move out of the building. (However) Due to the spread of Covid-19, the move did not go smoothly and involved only a small number of tenants who are still in the building until the evacuation deadline which was on 24th July 2021,” Ellron said.
He was replying to the claim by Kota Kinabalu Warisan division chief Samuel Wong last week that the tenants of Wisma Kosan were told to evict the building without any prior notice.
Wong said that the tenants were unhappy and felt victimised by the sudden eviction order.
He claimed to have been informed by certain people that the eviction was because the land Wisma Kosan sits on, has been used for the benefit of a private developer, resulting in the people being sidelined.”
“First of all, is the land where Wisma Kosan sits on, a state government land. Did the government surrender this piece of land to private developers, at the expense of Sabahans?
“Is it true that almost all koperasi members of Kosan disagreed, but somehow the decision was bulldozed by the Board of Directors? Is it true that this motion was not tabled or passed through the required AGM?” asked Wong.
To this, Ellron said that Kosan in its 30th annual general meeting on 29th June 2015 had passed a resolution to develop lands that it owns.
“In line with that, the development of the Wisma Kosan land in Likas was signed on 24th August 2015. The land is owned by Kosan, not the state government,” he stressed.
Ellron added that the development planned will benefit Kosan members as well as the rakyat in Sabah as it will be a mixed development with affordable apartments, office space and shop lots.
He disclosed the development of the land was tabled, discussed and passed by Kosan members in its 34th annual general meeting on 19th August 2017.
Former Sabah Youth and Sports Minister Phoong Jin Zhe said on Saturday that he did not approve any eviction notice for the stakeholders of Wisma Kosan.
His former political secretary, Henry Shim Chee On, said during Phoong’s tenure as the chairman of the Kosan’s Board of Directors, he stood firm that no eviction notice shall be issued until the decision is supported by majority members through the 37th annual general meeting.