KOTA KINABALU: The multi-million Perdana Park at Hone Place which will be officiated by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak today, is the brainchild of Chief Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Musa Aman Haji Aman.
Musa first mooted the idea of preserving the site as a heritage park and also to provide a green lung within Kota Kinabalu City.
Below is the question and answer on Perdana Park with the Chief Minister.
1. Please tell us briefly what is the uniqueness of this park? Its size and facilities?
The park’s design pays homage to the legacy and identity of Sabah by incorporating architectural designs reminiscent of the old government quarters that stood during the British administration complemented with softscapes that evoke the feel of the rainforest.
It is built on a total of 18 acres and among its features are a musical fountain, purified water provided free of charge, caters to special physical needs, a containerised stage that could be used for cultural shows, reflexology footpaths and exercise areas. What is also important is the park is OKU (handicapped) friendly.
Our Right Honorable Prime Minister Dato’ Seri Najib Tun Razak has graciously agreed to officially open the Park on this Jan 28th. The entry to Perdana Park is free and it will officially open to the public on Jan 30
2. What was the inspiration or idea behind the conception of the park?
All we have to do is take a good look at the world we live in today. It is a world that is rapidly becoming more and more urban. In 2010, the United Nations reported that about 50% of the world’s population now live in cities. Added to that is the fact that Asia has the largest share of cities, with a total of at least 500 million inhabitants combined. Of those 500 million, Kota Kinabalu is home to 452,940 inhabitants. Ten years ago, this figure was 355,935. The numbers are definitely going up.
We know that cities are the economic centres of the world. They are centres where the pace and speed of working and living is moving with lightning speed. Technology has all but vanished borders of communication between one end of the globe to another, making the race between competitors in whatever business or industry an aggressively fierce one.
Kota Kinabalu may not be comparable yet to a city like New York or Tokyo but we are very fortunate as Sabah is a state rich with beautiful natural landscapes and has not yet entirely become a concrete jungle. That is why right now, the State Government strongly believes it is vital on our part in taking steps to mitigate the issues that a rapidly urban population would face such as a cramped and stressed lifestlye. These are very real issues in other big cities of the world.
Often, when I am in the city of Kuala Lumpur, I found myself enjoying many a morning just walking around the grounds of KLCC where there is also a park and some green space amidst the hustle and bustle. It was a space where I could gather my thoughts. It made me think of Kota Kinabalu and how a park would benefit it as a growing city.
Yes, development is vital. In lieu of that, cities will always be the center stage of the populace. At the same time, we should heed the lessons we see in the global landscape. In that light, the idea of a public park was born. The State Government believed establishing a park was a strategic way to conserve this area and let Malaysians in Sabah enjoy something from the past.
That is also our step to encourage better physical and emotional health for the city’s populace – by providing a public communal and recreational space that can be enjoyed for several generations. We would be killing two birds with one stone with this idea. The state could give its citizens the benefit of a premier park in the city with state of the art faciliities. On top of that, it will be an additional tourism attraction that will showcase the city’s rich history, and pay tribute to Sabah’s environment.
3. Why was the Hone Place chosen as the site for the Perdana Park?
Hone Place was, as many would know and remember, in the 1930’s during the pre-war days, the site for government quarters. Many retired civil servants will remember playing football at the padang there. It is a place rich with rich historical significance.
The State Government wanted the park to pay homage to that legacy and also to the identity of Sabah. The two directives for the design of the park is to resonate the historical values found at Hone Place and to evoke the feel of our rich rainforests.
As some of you may know, there was a proposal years ago to develop a controversial housing project in the area. Due to strong public objection, fortunately the proposal was abandoned. However, the area was left neglected, overgrown with lalang. Something meaningful had to be done. As such, the present day government believes that establishing Perdana Park is a pretty good safeguard against further commercial development in the future.
Some may say that Perdana Park, area wise, is small compared to parks in major cities around the world. However, we must be mindful that in Kota Kinabalu city itself, the number of open spaces, let alone sizable ones, have greatly diminished due to rampant development in the past. Today, Perdana Park probably stands on the last piece of prime open space in KK.
4. Why would a corporate entity commit to such a project?
There was the very real issue of not having government funds to build a park befitting the vision we had. There were other priorities. Then it struck me that if the KLCC park could be built by a corporate figure in exchange for land, I saw no reason why the same could not be done for Kota Kinabalu.
The question then came down to finding the right corporate entity to work with. It has to be one that can deliver the vision of the project and on top of that possess the resources as it was going to be a multi-million ringgit project.
The corporate figure I thought of was the person behind Timatch Sdn Bhd, Datuk Victor Paul, whom has many decades of experience in all sorts of industries, including construction. Like I said initially the construction of the Park was to be made under a land swap deal. So, I was truly taken aback when the land exchange offer was declined. Instead, a commitment was made to build this park entirely as part of their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) as a gift to the state and the people without any form of payment or reward. Hence, it must be made very clear that no project exchange is involved in the development of Perdana Park. The State Government is also pleased to learn that Timatch will also maintain and operate the park as a community service without any fee.
5. How do you see it play a role with the public? What is its value to the citizens of KK?
The leaders and city halls of the world already realise the intrinsic value of a park to any city. Many a time, the question has been asked: Do parks make sense in shaping a city? Even one such as Kota Kinabalu that is relatively young and still finding its place? The answer is yes. There are numerous benefits derived from public parks, factors which I thoroughly considered with the inception of this project.
(i) Strengthen community – parks function as a social and recreational space for people to get together, thereby strengthening community values.
(ii) Urban oasis – people can spend time outside without paying money. It’s like your own personal backyard especially with more and more people living in condos these days.
(iii) Health and recreation – parks are a place to reduce stress and relax, a vital aspect of managing a balanced life.
(iv) Child development – parents can be assured of a safe play environment to nurture their children physically and emotionally towards becoming healthier individuals. We all remember how excited we were as children when we got our trips to the neighbourhood park.
(v) Ecological conservation – with the park, we get a green space safeguarded from development, and will help with air pollution. Research has shown that even small parks are able to cool cities in a world faced with global warming.
(vi) Economy and property values – well-managed parks can raise real estate value and boost tourism. There are lots of reports and numbers out that there back this. A fine park also increases the value of a city for global companies looking to find a base as they are seen a key element to a conducive working and living environment in a city.
6. What is the significance of the park to the state in light of other issues like poverty and infrastructure needs?
The State is committed to each issue it faces in bettering the lifes of its people. Yes we need to bridge the gaps where poverty, infrastructure needs and economic development are concerned. At the same time, it is equally imperative to adopt crucial lessons from other cities of the world to ensure the state’s economic center, the city of Kota Kinabalu, is able to retain its identity, communal values and economic integrity.
The State Government sees the park as a first step toward making Kota Kinabalu another landmark city in Asia and the world. It is a step towards making it a city of tomorrow, one that our children can be proud of.
It is also, we believe, a complement to the many programmes under the Sabah Development Corridor to turn Sabah into a leading economic hub and thus is part of the whole fabric of on-going efforts to develop the state of Sabah. As mentioned, Kota Kinabalu is a relatively young city and there is room to grow into its identity. The State Government is doing its part in shaping it into a great city.
We have taken a leaf out of the books of other great cities. From here, we also know that the maintenance of the park is important. The corporate philanthropist has once again stepped up to the plate and will be running the operations of the park as part of a community service to the state for which the state government is truly appreciative.
In this light, we appeal to the public to assist us with the care of the park. Civic consciousness is vital. The park should be a space enjoyed by the generations of today and tomorrow.
This project was executed based on the government-corporate cooperation model and there is a lot of potential for more of these type of projects. With people and corporates working together with government, capabilities to develop the state becomes a lot more exponential. This helps to bring us ever closer to the objective of elevating the quality of living for all Malaysians in Sabah.