TAED envisioned to benefit economy, community and environment – Musa

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KOTA KINABALU: Sabah must leverage on its geographical location, being at the heart of the Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia and Philippines – East Asean Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA) and strategically located along the Far-East shipping routes, said Chief Minister, Datuk Seri Panglima Musa Haji Aman.

“I look forward to the outcome of the comprehensive Sabah Ports 30 years master plan that will turn our ports into a vibrant transhipment hub for the BIMP-EAGA region as well as the Far East. This will also spur other multimodal logistics development and activities that include the Pan Borneo highway, railway connectivity linking the hinterland and aviation hub,” Musa said, when delivering his inaugural lecture entitled ‘My Vision for Sabah’ at an event organized by the Rotary Club of Kota Kinabalu (RCKK) here on Sunday.

On another note, Musa said, the Tanjung Aru Eco Development (TAED), a 348-hectare integrated beachfront development in Tanjung Aru, was envisioned to be well-positioned to benefit the economy, community and environment.

“To create a sustainable development like no other in the region, TAED needs to be, not only economically viable but also socially and environmentally acceptable.”

By specifically developing TAED with low-impact residential, hotel and commercial properties, he said, the State government would not only be able to raise the necessary funds for construction, but also to finance the maintenance of all public areas within the development, including the new beach and park.

“There is no other development comparable to TAED. TAED is envisioned to be well-positioned to benefit the economy, community and environment. It is with this holistic approach towards improving all three – economic, social and environmental aspects of sustainability, that TAED will undoubtedly set a high benchmark for all future developments in Malaysia and the region,” he said.

Meanwhile, Musa said, the Sabah International Convention Centre (SICC) is a project to prepare Sabah to become a leading international meeting, incentives, conventions and exhibition (MICE) centre.

“It is a highly specialized venue that will be equipped with high-tech facilities to ensure smooth and efficient running of MICE activities. SICC is designed to be ahead of its generation and is a representation of the best-featured convention centre derived from the world’s leading MICE venues,” he said, adding that the Prime Minister had chipped in RM250 million for this project.

Musa was also keen on the outcome of The Jesselton Quay project which would become an iconic landscape as Kota Kinabalu city’s new waterfront and premier tourism frontier.

The project will have its own cruise terminal and will integrate the Kota Kinabalu International Cruise Terminal, marina facilities and the SICC.

On a more serious note, Musa said, the issue of land reclamations, especially along the Kota Kinabalu seafront, has over the years been a source of aggravation to many, especially those in conservation.

“To the dismay of many, previous administrations had granted approvals for reclamation for the purpose of commercial development from Likas Bay all the way to Tanjung Aru.

“How much more can the city take? Where do we stop? Should the city be reclaimed past Gaya Island? I made the bold decision to freeze all KK seafront land applications and even went to court to wrestle back those that had been approved.”

Therefore, in 2015, Musa took the initiative a step further when the State Legislative Assembly successfully passed a landmark bill to ban land reclamation beyond the designated boundary as a means of protecting coastal lands along the Kota Kinabalu city front.