New City Hall Building to ensure better services to the people

KOTA KINABALU, 9 June 2009: The new proposed City Hall new headquarters can ensure better services to the people living in the city area and enable DBKK to perform more efficiently and effectively.

Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) Wanita Chief Melanie Chia said, the new headquarters proposed to be sited at The Jesselton Point is timely as it could offer better services when all department is housed under one roof.

"A New City Hall Building will definitely uplift he image of Kota Kinabalu as a city and the new building would enable more efficiency and effective management in the provision of services for the benefits of the people. We hope the delivery system can be further improved with the better logistic."

"The construction of the new DBKK headquarters is Federal funded as it is under the Sabah Development Corridor (SDC). We are in need of more Federal fundings to improve and upgrade our basic infrastructure and services and improves the standard of living in Sabah," she said.

In a statement, here, today, she also said that the tender process must be carried out to ensure transparency and accountability as the people should know how government funds are being spent.

Melanie who is also Luyang Assemblywoman said it is better if the project is given out to local contractor as it could offer economic spin off here.

She was commenting on Mayor Datuk Iliyas Ibrahim's announcement recently that Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman had approved the allocation for the project and that work on the building by Suria Capital would begin this year. It would be ready in three years.

Melanie said the existing DBKK headquarters here is now split into two premises one at the old building since the district office days and the other at the Centre Point Shopping Complex.

She said it caused much inconveniences to the city folks as they have to go from one place to another due to the siting of the different departments between the two premises.

"Also the existing building is already old as it has been in existence since the district office days. The building has housed Kota Kinabalu District office, Kota Kinabalu Town Council, Kota Kinabalu Municipal Council and now City Hall," she said.

Melanie said the new DBKK headquarters should also have international standard convention hall to cater for international events as well as double up as a venue for cultural shows including concerts and orchestra performance.

"The physical development of the City should go hand in hand with its cultural development. Perhaps the Mayor should get feedback from the people and organisations in the city area on their aspirations for the New City Hall. After all the City belongs to the people who live in it and we are all responsible for its well being".

Melanie further stressed that Sabah is still in need of many other physical developments, including an efficient public transport system.

"We hope the current hiccups with the recent implementation of the new public transport system will be over soon."

She said that she had received numerous complaints since 1 June when the new system was implemented. The most complaints came from senior citizen commuters. The complaints included schedules of the different routes and the additional costs and human traffic flows in the area.

She suggested that an overhead bridge be built linking the bus terminal to the Wawasan Plaza Shopping Complex.

"We hope the Federal Government could allocate money to improve our public transport system just as was allocated in the Peninsular. This will definitely lessen the financial burden of our commuters and make their life less stressful."