DBKK 2014
Clients OPEN day
30 October, 2014
– a private response –
22 points
by
Joshua Y. C. Kong
copyrights reserved. 29 October
2014.
Jknow823@gmail.com 6013-8394513
DBKK 2014 – Clients
OPEN day 30 October, 2014 – a private response – 22 points
I would like to add more on the following official material
of KKCH as presented in the official website:-
DRAFT KKLP2020 WRITTEN STATEMENT
DRAFT KKLP2020 MEMORANDUM
I would not know if the issues
that are regularly raised by the ratepayers, consumers, residents - local or
otherwise, visitors – local and foreign would be addressed in 2020 with all the
suggested improvements and developments that are proposed and possibly to be
implemented obviously if adequate funding is available.
There are a range of issues or
ideas that may need to be addressed now rather then wait till 2020 and the list
is not exhaustive and the list I would present here is as follows:-
1.
Is the City Council together with the Mayor transparent? Do we see any of the meeting minutes and
other relevant reports that should be made public?
2.
Twinning of Kota
Kinabalu City
with other cities around the world and socalled sister cities bring about real
benefits to KKCH considering the associated costs in maintaining such
networking.
3.
Is KKCH part of the activities of the Institute of
Public Security of Malaysia [IPSOM] or Institut Keselamatan Awam Malaysia in the formulation of the security
policies for the first time in Malaysia?
KKCH should be an active contributor of
this security affair and not to be left out.
4.
Environmental
Issues to be addressed urgently:-
4.1
Pollution and rubbish scenario in KKCH and it is worth
to be famous to be a award winner in the regional in a video contest known as
KWN Asia Pacific 2013 titled “Malaysia
Black Dot
Town” aka KK Pollution as
created by the teenager in Kota Kinabalu.
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?V=io13G7SLo-U] How would KKCH react to that global exposure? Several severe or acute eyesores of
pollutions are in KK city and Gaya
Island.
4.2
Flooding in areas around Kota Kinabalu such as Kepayan
Ridge, Donggongon, Penampang, Putatan, Inanam, Menggatal, Sepanggar, Lido, Dai Yah/Damai, some parts of Luyang need to be
addressed with priority.
4.3
Hills cutting, blocked drains along the roads and
shopping areas, sewerage, transporting of soils or earth, uncollected refuse,
broken concrete slabs, are issues to be addressed in a concerted effort.
5.
Hawkers and the coffee shops with tables blocking
passage ways need to be addressed.
Hawkers especially the local one should be encouraged with incentives to
provide a better image to their trade in more suitable scenario with basic
facilities. The coffee shops with tables at the five foot way should be
discouraged and instead the licence for additional tables are issued in many
cases.
6.
Twenty Four hours coffee shops should be reviewed in
term of health situation of the workers and the premises not refreshed
naturally. Food as prepared and left for
24 hours in the open can be contaminated or even stale without refrigeration. Also
the excessive use of formalin in fish market.
7.
Abandoned projects are common in KKCH areas posing an
image of a “problematic” city.
8.
MP Kota Kinabalu recently raised the issue of lack of
OC for many buildings in the city.
Please name such buildings for the safety of the consumers.
9.
Closed premises are aplenty in the city posing question
of a “dead” city despite many more multi-storeyed business buildings are in the
pipeline.
10.
It is an accepted perception that friendly dogs are
more useful for the security of city dwellers when the Police can only that
much in the face of rising crimes of all sort in the city. So the whole policy for the treatment of dogs
in homes and dogs without homes should be streamlined and updated according to
the needs and desires of the residents with some amendment to the laws and
bylaws in the humane context.
11.
In an increasing aging population of the city, it is
essential that those squatting toilets in coffee shops, eateries and
restaurants should be removed and replaced with the sitting type as elderly or
slightly disabled persons cannot squat.
12.
The concrete pavement of the walking areas around the
shops should be in level position and not with holes from those brick-like
pieces which can be at dropped levels hence hazardous at all time especially at
night.
13.
Transportation
in City is much to be desired
13.1
Without a proper central bus station and mass transit
system in KK, it is indeed a poor rating for the city for the ordinary
travelers, commuters – local people and visitors alike. A lively city need better commuting
facilities with associated conveniences available at ease. With the present bus station in disarray or
disintegrated as it is today, how would travelers with children and elderly
people go for facilities like the toilets?
13.2
The parking aspects for cars into the inner city and
fringe areas of the outer city are much to be desired as water logged,
dirts/mud, water from the buildings, and pot holes prevail. Some road humps are inconsistent in size and
lost yellow paint not re-done hence can damage cars.
13.3
Suitable parking areas –off street and ground parking
zone - are inadequate in most cases.
Only a few multi storeyed car parks exhibit their vacancies available
outside to avoid “double” parking inside them.
13.4
Parking rates for the new coupon system are rather high
when the lowest was 25 cents only.
13.5
In most areas, the coupon systems can be replaced by
suitable placed self adhesive ticket vending machine for the vicinity. Is the legal system of locking the wheel of
vehicle as over stayed enforced rather than giving out compound papers always
not received by the consumers? Towing of
cars can be very inconvenient for the ignorant and casual parking offenders.
13.6
Traffic jam is a serious problem especially in peak
hours in the morning and the evening.
The jam at the peak hours are likely to be “extended” by an hour or so
at most times for those who work in the CBD in the city. The reasons or causes
can be varied but life is not so pleasant.
13.7
With more development of heavy density commercial
projects –some in progress and some about to start – in both the south and the
north accesses to the city and with more cars in the roads annually, how would
the long traffic jams (incoming in the morning and outgoing in the evening) not
to be avoided hence productivity is adversely affected? Even jams do occur in non peak hours. Is there any concrete development of mass
transit system in KK? The consequence of
the jams could be the expected “toll” on the businesses in CBD. The direct or indirect impact on the
profligacy of the fuel consumption and the subsidy
13.8
More suitable signs for the drivers, consumers and travelers
are desirable.
13.9
The traffic lights lack automatic synchronization when
the traffic density varies hence upgrade maybe needed. Why are we using “obsolete” traffic lights
facilities?
13.10
Many drivers react too slowly to traffic changes
especially at the traffic lights and the gaps between cars are too far apart at most times to slow
down the traffic movement behind. Hence
education is important.
14.
Open spaces used for other permanent commercial
projects. Such areas must be identified
and appropriate action to be taken.
15.
Houses extended excessively without approval from KKCH,
resulting in excessive off-house parking of cars.
16.
DBKK should consider the concept of “Small office home
office” or SOHO where limited staff and limited
clients prevail and licences to be issued especially for startups of some
professional and skills offices. This is
made possible with electronic facilities.
17.
The market places of DBKK must be well managed as it is
a very important aspect of the city.
18.
Waste disposal and collecting of domestic and
industrial refuse need to be addressed and the neglected dumping ground.
19.
Gaya Street
and Merdeka Padang is a very important street/area and over the decades much
changes had been done to that street and padang. Are the many costly changes or renovations in
line with the environmental/consumer impact and image for the City? What about the Sunday market, any more
enhancement?
20.
Foh Sang new
proposed 6 storeyed car pack
20.1
With the proposed development in such an already
congested area, the traffic in the area would be too difficult to move and the
three rows of two storeyed shops in Foh
Sang would be ultimate losers while the project is in progress possibly for two years. The losses for the businesses and the
residents would be too much and nobody would compensate them. So isn’t it more meaningful to re-develop the
whole of Foh Sang town centre as the
shops of more than 40 years with the back facing the main road? The shop owners can be compensated with new
units of equivalent value in the new development of multi story buildings while
the chance of improving the busy roads there can also take place. The business operators can also take a
meaningful long leave or move to new area as business in the area would be near
“dead” during the construction of the proposed car park as dusts, noises and
congestion are inevitable. So it is
more feasible for a total re-development for the China town with the appropriate
architecture with a suitable investor.
20.2
Can anything to be done for Bornion Center
like build more car parks over the wide drain next to it?
21. Open spaces and Tanjung Aru
Beach (TAB)
21.1 We all know that most open spaces are
neglected and even be dangerous hence unlikely to be of use to the residents. Much improvements are desired but the lack of
fund prevent any such possibility.
21.2 TAB is at the moment in a crisis of
sort created by “unbeknown” sources lacking in much transparency. The TAED was in progress possibly in advanced
stage without public knowledge. So what is the latest chapter of TAB by TAEDSB
for the rich people only? Much had been
exposed reluctantly in the mass media and submissions to the various bodies
concerned. Why the page 50 of Draft
KKLP2020 written statement shows a smaller area of proposed TAED - outdated?
- Why is Gaya Island and Tungku Abdul Rahman Park now excluded from Draft KKLP2020?
Conclusion:-
We all know Rome is not built in
a day but KK City has been with us more than a decade and the expectations of
the KKCH as assessed is disappointing
and more so if it is to be the Nature Resort City and if we break the three
words. How is KK city -nature – how
green? Resort connects to something for
relaxation and comfort. Aren’t we tense most times? City is something much different from a town
or municipal. So let ponder and give our
reviews by a 5 levels indicators.
We also know it is harsh to blame
it on the KKCH but if not who is going to take the blame or responsibility? Everyone in Kota Kinabalu city should take
the blame for the dream of a city not coming sooner. The dream may not come sooner as the main
cause can be lack of adequate development fund from the State and the Federal
sector.
Maybe if all the State and
Federal portfolios put their heads together and play their roles accordingly in
Kota Kinabalu city, we may find certain amount of funds diverted to make KK
City a better city in shorter times.
We all want sustainable solutions
for KK City and make our city truly Nature
Resort City even before 2020.
Make our dream come true.
Joshua Y. C. Kong copyrights reserved. 29 October 2014.
Jknow823@gmail.com 6013-8394513
