New Penampang District Plan: DO urged to organise public dialogue and involve community

8 Nov 2021

By Wartawan Nabalu News

PENAMPANG: Penampang MP cum Moyog State Assemblyman Datuk Darell Leiking has urged the Penampang District Officer, Francis Chong to organise a dialogue with the public to allow them to raise questions relating to the new Penampang Local Plan.

He reasoned that this is probably the best method to connect and to get the community involved in making the New Local District Plan a success because the effort to reach to the community are currently only limited through notification via The District Council's Facebook page, WhatsApp and small banners located at the Sigah roundabout.

According to The Town and Country Planning Ordinance (Sabah Cap 141) Part IA, 4D(1) before preparing a draft Structure Plan to be submitted by the Minister to the State Cabinet, the Director shall ensure that there are sufficient publicity given to the draft structure plan and shall allow any person or persons or other bodies affected by the draft structure plan to make representations and objections in respect thereof.

The Director shall consider the representations and objections and bring them to the attention of the Council. Such representations and objections shall be made to the Director within five weeks of such publications in the press and (2) The draft Structure Plan referred to in section 4D(1) shall be published in three issues of at least two local newspapers, one of which being the national language disclosing where the copies of the plan can be made available for inspection.

“We have sent an official letter and proposal to Francis so the committee can improvise the current local plan on the 2nd of November and urging the District Officer to organise the public dialogue as soon as possible.

“Our office also made a courtesy call to Francis on the Nov 5 led by my Political Secretary, Pritchard Gumbaris and I was made to understand that my office had urged for the public dialogue and is extremely necessary as the Draft Penampang Local Plans will affect all Residents and Stakeholders at Penampang District,” he said.

Darell said this when contacted by a reporter to comment about the new Penampang Local Plan, recently.

According to Darell, the courtesy call was also attended by Penampang Council Executive Officer Robert Malangkig and Assistant District Officer Stanley Sikolis while the Penampang Parliamentarian office was represented by lawyer Batholomew Jingulam and Dora Engchuan.

Suggestions were forwarded to incorporate a more comprehensive Design Study by Department of Irrigation and Drainage (DID) into the proposed zoning plan to ensure that the recurring flood issues in most of the villages in Moyog areas including Bundusan areas in Kepayan are mitigated, tackled and resolved amicably because numerous flash floods have become rampant for many reasons such as the rapid development without proper drainage planning, uncontrolled Earth works / reclamations as well as Climate Change Consideration which have in tandem worsened the flood situation and if not considered will likely lead to more Unknown Damages both to lives and assets in the coming near future.

Francis was also urged to investigate the impact on pollution, flood, traffic congestion and public services especially where the Industrial and Residential zoning are located side by side.

The already congested Bundusan area is the best example to gauge the impact caused by the unorganised zoning and this is the best time while at the Draft Planning Stage of the Plan to reconsider current circumstances and facts of the surrounding local area and why there have been unquantified losses due to the floods amongst others.

The roundabout at Pavilion Bundusan is the one example, where just several years ago, it had hardly flooded but as at today it will have severe flash floods just after being endured with a 30-minute heavy rainfall thereby causing damages to the nearby housing areas and nearby commercial properties.

Suggestions were also made to identify areas for designated Public Transportation Hub and an updated Road Network Study to tackle the ever-increasing traffic congestion all over Penampang and also to take advantage of the Kota Kinabalu City Hall (DBKK) existing Northern and Southern Bus Terminal and to ensure Penampang can be part of the huge road connectivity between the two Districts.

Other suggestion included identifying area for future academia centre, universities, colleges, hospital and cultural centers to be included into the local plan, to identify and gazette a green lung area for Penampang because it will act as a “Sponge” to control the flow of rainwater, to include a comprehensive drainage legends for Pan Borneo road because at the moment there are seems to be no indication that proper drainages will be built along the Pan Borneo Road.

“We have submitted about 15 proposals for improvement including the suggestion to organise a much needed public dialogue over the Penampang Draft Local Plan albeit the Nov 6 and 7 dialogue at Dewan Kg Ramayah dan Dewan Kg Ganang organised only for the Village Development Security Committee (JPKK) and Village Head. The said dialogue with the JPKK / KK is not sufficient and does not include the public directly.

“Most of the issues are very technical hence we need professionals to answer each question and doubt raised by all the stakeholders. Meanwhile, we are glad that the public enquiries dateline has been extended by another two months which will end on Jan 18, 2022, instead of Nov 18. This will give Francis ample of time to organise public dialogues in all villages and urban areas,” stressed Darell.

The public especially those affected landowners are urged to check and to make complaints or objections if their lands are affected by the newly proposed Penampang local plan and this can be done through MDPG official website or to write directly to District Officer Francis Chong.