Liaw
KOTA KINABALU: Sabah Association of Tour and Travel Agents (Satta) president Datuk Seri Winston Liaw has appealed to Chief Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Hajiji Noor to intervene and resolve the outstanding rental payments owed by Sabah Urban Development Corporation (SUDC) to 252 owners of the South China Sea Place (Ming Garden Residence).
He said the association fully supported Hajiji’s wise decision and action to strengthen the government-linked companies (GLCs) which hindered Sabah’s economic growth and drove investors away.
Liaw said he had received multiple complaints pertaining to the South China Sea Place (Ming Garden Residence), in which SUDC owed the 252 owners rental payments since February 2020.
“SUDC hasn’t paid its investors a cent since February last year, when the Covid-19 pandemic just started.”
He said the owners or investors had to sign a mandatory rental agreement with SUDC at the same time they inked their sales and purchase agreement (SPA).
“The project was supported by many investors because they see this project as belonging to a GLC under the Sabah State Government.”
He pointed out that SUDC has enjoyed profit from the project for the last eight years when tourism was thriving in Sabah.
“The fact that SUDC is unwilling to pay its investors during bad times reflects poorly on Sabah’s image to potential future investors.”
He said the sum owned to the owners was less than RM6 million, which should be considered very little to the State Government.
“Many tourism players have invested in this SUDC project.
“Tourism players are suffering the most during this pandemic time and are still facing hard times.”
Hence, Liaw hoped that the Chief Minister could intervene and solve the issue as soon as possible to enhance the efficiency of GLCs in Sabah, which would set an example to other GLCs to remain competitive and in turn revive the state economy.