Database to monitor squatter areas

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Shafie (ninth from right), Christina (eighth from right) and Yusof (10th from right) with the newly-appointed members of City Hall’s Board of Advisors after presenting the appointment letters.

KOTA KINABALU: Kota Kinabalu City Hall is to come up with a complete database system to effectively monitor the growth of squatter areas.

Mayor Datuk Nordin Siman said yesterday the system can help to identify squatter areas for the purpose of control and assistance.

“This is one of the approaches designed to create an effective squatter management system and to provide adequate settlements.

“The creation of the management system is among the six missions dedicated to the city of Kota Kinabalu,” he said at the launch of the KK Moving Forward programme by Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal.

Nordin said City Hall had expanded the participation of agencies in the district squatter committees by involving the Local Government and Housing Ministry, Health Department, Customs Department, Sabah Electricity Sdn Bhd and Sabah Water Department.

He said the committees also acted on reports on growth and health and social problems in the squatter areas.

Nordin said that under the Smart City Action Network, Kota Kinabalu City Hall was selected to conduct a smart city study in the Kuala Menggatal area.

The study, to be completed in October, is to develop a land-use planning scheme to resettle over 7,000 households in squatter areas, he said, adding that such planning can help resettle squatters and provide employment.

In his speech, Shafie pointed out that there is no use having skyscrapers in the city if the people could not even practise good values.

“It is important for us to develop our city. It is not only skyscrapers that we want. There is no use having so many skyscrapers if the people do not have good values when it comes to the cleanliness of the city and the harmony between the communities,” he said.

“This is a comprehensive effort that has to be initiated here in Kota Kinabalu,” he said.

Apart from tourists, Shafie reckoned that it is equally important for the city to attract more investors to come to Kota Kinabalu.

He also applauded City Hall and Mayor Datuk Nordin Siman for their efforts to preserve the cleanliness of the state capital.

“Although City Hall is given a limited allocation for its waste management efforts, it still managed to keep Kota Kinabalu clean. It collects up to 800 tons of rubbish per day,” said Shafie.

Earlier in his speech, the Chief Minister revealed that there are plans to allocate RM1 million for the city’s waste management.

During the event, he also presented appointment letters to newly-appointed members of City Hall’s Board of Advisors.

Also present at the event were Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Christina Liew, Education and Innovation Minister Datuk Dr Yusof Yacob and State Secretary Datuk Hashim Paijan.