KOTA KINABALU: The federal government should focus on developing and promoting Sabah’s Mt Kinabalu, which is a World Heritage Site and a leading tourism icon for Malaysia, if it aspires to carry out a mega-scale eco-tourism development instead of building a multi-billion ringgit 100-storey tower in the national capital.
“Why spend billions of taxpayers’ money to create a tourist attraction in the form of a 100-storey building when God had given us such a magnificent natural tourist attraction as in Mt Kinabalu, which no building in the world can match its height,” said SAPP information chief Chong Pit Fah, yesterday.
“We are not Dubai or Las Vegas which are barren and void of any natural attractions that they need to create some man-made ones,” He was responding to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak’s announcement while tabling the National 2011 Budget last Friday, that the proposed 100-storey tower would be part of the Warisan Merdeka costing about RM5 billion and expected to be ready by 2020.
Chong said SAPP was not suggesting that a tower be built at the Kinabalu Park but to better upgrade the existing facilities there, such as the flora research centre and hostels at the park, besides developing new attractions in the vicinity.
He regretted that despite its World Heritage status, the facilities at the Kinabalu Park leave so much to be desired.
“For so long and for such an important site for the country, Kinabalu Park and the majestic Mount Kinabalu have seen little development,” he said, lamenting that such was a sad situation for the country’s premier tourism icon.
He thus said the government should give better attention and a special allocation in the Budget 2011 for the development and promotion of Mt Kinabalu.
He also contended that the proposed construction of the tower near Stadium Merdeka and Stadium Negara in Kuala Lumpur that makes it the tallest building in the country once completed would benefit the people in Sabah.
He especially reminded that Malaysia already has a national icon, the Petronas Twin Towers, which a bulk of its construction cost was funded by revenues generated from oil and gas found in offshore Sabah.
“Therefore, it’s time for Sabah to get back what is due to her,” he asserted.
He further contended that what Malaysia needs are better education, better health care, better public transportation, safer neighbourhood, cleaner water, but not a taller building.