OVER the last few decades the narrow shoreline of the once serene coastal town of Kota Kinabalu (KK) has changed. What KK was, in the 1950s or 1960s, is now almost unrecognisable to those who grew up close to it. It has rapidly changed its face over the last three decades with most of the city centre built on reclaimed land. Today, Kota Kinabalu City Hall is striving to strike a balance in preserving its old environment, while pushing for development to make the city a world-class leisure and tourism spot, in line with the objectives of the Sabah Development Corridor (SDC). This rainforest city of over 300,000 people will play the leading role as the gateway to Sabah, which aims to be one of the most liveable places in Asia. For city planners it is also crucial that the city is ready to impress and help the state woo some RM105bil in development projects for investments under the SDC’s 18-year overall economic development plan. Environmentalist, however, are worried about pushing Kota Kinabalu's shoreline further into the sea as they believe further changes would bring irreparable consequences to city’s very own treasure. Their concern is on the proposed Kota Kinabalu waterfront project that offers to transform Kota Kinabalu into an integrated mixed development along a section of the Kota Kinabalu town’s coastline. The Kota Kinabalu City Waterfront, expected to be completed by 2010, will feature the key attraction of a 2km long boardwalk, built using eco-friendly materials rising above the sea on stilts. Waterfront Urban Development Sdn Bhd (WUD) is carrying out the entire project in collaboration with Kota Kinabalu City (DBKK). The project is among those identified under the SDC that aims to make Sabah a major destination for both leisure and business tourism and has also caught the attention of Kuwait Finance House (Malaysia) Bhd (KFHMB) and a consortium of Middle Eastern and Malaysian investors. At the launch of the SDC, a tripartite agreement was signed between WUD, KFH and Intonasi Intan Sdn Bhd witnessed by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi WUD managing director Reymee Mohamed Hussein said the development would incorporate environmentally friendly features like hi-tech LED lighting, energy conserving air conditioning systems and solar powered pedestrian lighting along the boardwalk. Reymee, together with Geoffrey P.J. Lee, conceptualised the Kota Kinabalu City Waterfront development masterplan with DBKK. He gave the assurance that there would be no reclamation work. “It is primarily to increase the role of a coastal city like Kota Kinabalu to become a catalystfor the modernisation and development in Sabah,” said Reymee, adding that the RM500mil project was conceptualised after studying several thriving world class international waterfront attractions like Darling Harbour (Australia), Cape Town Waterfront (South Africa), Victoria Harbour (Hong Kong), Canary Wharf (London) and Clark Quay Riverside (Singapore). The development will also spur economic growth for Kota Kinabalu and provide employment and new business opportunities to local residents and businesses. “Kota Kinabalu City Waterfront will feature one of the longest city waterfront boardwalks in Asia and is poised to become the city’s prime tourist attraction. It will be an integral part of Sabah’s hospitality industry,” Reymee said. Sabah Environment Protection Association president Datuk Sue Jayasuriya said there was a need to ensure that any development did not turn the rainforest city into a concrete jungle. - The Star Online - 05 February 08 Technorati Tags: Sabah Development Corporation,Sabah,Sabah Travel Tourism Visit
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
KK promises an eco-friendly waterfront project
Saturday, February 2, 2008
Launch of corridor heralds new era for Sabah
KOTA KINABALU: A total of RM105bil in investments, 900,000 jobs, a waterfront city, tourism projects and a RM600mil new Sabah Railway terminal – these are among the things Sabahans will get when the Sabah Development Corridor (SDC) is completed in 18 years. In addition, Gross Domestic Product will be up to RM63bil and an annual per capita income will hit RM14,800. As an immediate measure, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi announced an extra RM5bil allocation under the Ninth Malaysia Plan to improve infrastructure and to reduce the cost of doing business in the state. And minutes after Abdullah launched the SDC, 13 MoUs were signed involving international companies from China, the United States and Japan for various projects worth RM16bil. These developments include housing, condominiums, hotels, the waterfront city, ports, tourism projects and the railway terminal at Tanjung Aru. The Prime Minister said the SDC was to transform Sabah into an environmentally conscious and modern state and gave an assurance that every aspect of the corridor development would benefit all Sabahans. “Today we see the Land Below the Wind take a quantum leap to be developed and be prosperous,” he said to applause from the crowd at Sapangar Container Port here yesterday. He outlined five key thrusts of the SDC, which will be to: > make Sabah the gateway for trade, investment and tourism in the region. > transform the state into a harmonious and prosperous state regardless of race or religion. > make the state more technology-savvy to ensure a better quality of life. > provide job opportunities in the state. > make Sabah a comfortable state to live in with good quality of life accentuated with diverse cultures, heritage and environment. Abdullah said that with the realisation of the five key aspects, the face of Sabah would be totally changed under the plans which would not leave out any group or region in the state. “This is not a daydream. We are not making an empty promise. There is no doubt there is a lot of challenges but we will ensure that the Sabah corridor will be a success,” he said. Under the SDC, the state’s west coast would see an industrial sub-corridor and agro-food industry for small and medium enterprises. For the central and northern zones, there will be an agripolitan zone, tourism, highland agriculture and agro-forestry. The east coast will have industries, marine tourism, integrated agro food industry, agro-biotechnology, and palm oil-based industry zones. Abdullah said that the overall focus of the SDC was to promote Sabah’s inherent strengths that included its location, rich natural resources as well as cultural and biological diversity that can become high potential economic activity. The sectors being promoted would be agriculture, tourism and logistics, services and manufacturing, he said. He said they also hoped to bring in more tourists to the state by developing eco-tourism destinations like Sipadan, Danum Valley and Darvel Bay. Abdullah said the federal government would liberalise the open skies policy for air travel to Sabah.-The Star Online - Wednesday January 30, 2008
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Additional RM5 Billion Allocation For High Impact Projects In Sabah
KOTA KINABALU, Jan 29 (Bernama) -- Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi Tuesday announced an additional allocation of RM5 billion for high impact projects identified in Sabah under the Ninth Malaysia Plan (9MP).
Officiating the action plan for the Sabah Development Corridor (SDC) at the Teluk Sepanggar container port near here, he said the allocation will be prepared during the mid-term review of the 9MP.
The government had earlier allocated RM11.4 billion to implement projects in Sabah during the five-year period of the 9MP with the focus on agriculture, human resource development and tourism.
Abdullah also said that the government will announce a package of incentives to develop the sectors and programmes given priority under the SDC.
"The government will announce a series of incentives for those interested to participate in the development of Sabah and those bringing investments to the state," he said.
"And especially for our foreign friends who want to be here, this is a land of opportunity to do well and enjoy some benefits on the return of their investments."
Abdullah said a special implementation body, the Sabah Economic Development Investment Authority or SEDIA, will be set up to oversee the direction of the SDC.
"The planning has been detailed and comprehensive. The people's hopes are high. Hopefully, our dream today can become a bright legacy for the future generation," he said.
-- BERNAMA
Sabah Moves Into High Gear To Launch SDC
KOTA KINABALU, Jan 28 (Bernama) -- Word has spread. The much- awaited event deemed to be very significant for the state -- the launch of the Sabah Development Corridor (SDC) -- takes place tomorrow at the Sepanggar Bay Container Port near here.
Banners bearing the portraits of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman with brief information on the launch are noticeable along major roads leading to the Sepanggar Bay Container Port while the giant billboards on the occasion have been positioned at strategic locations.
The 18-year plan from 2008 to 2025, to be launched by Abdullah, will not only benefit the business community but most importantly all the people of Sabah, a resource-rich state.
The SDC is the fourth economic corridor to be launched in Malaysia, after the Iskandar Development Region in southern Johor (IDR), Northern Corridor Economic Region (NCER) and East Coast Economic Region (ECER).
The SDC will cover every corner of the state to ensure that everyone in the state gets to enjoy the benefits it brings.
"What we like to see that it (SDC) benefits the locals but also open up avenues for foreign participation," said Institute for Development Studies Sabah (IDS) executive director Datuk Mohd Yaakob Johari, who is the consultant for the SDC blueprint.
The implementation of prioritised programmes under the SDC is also expected to increase Sabah's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) almost four-fold from RM16 billion in 2006 to RM63.26 billion in 2025.
More than 900,000 new jobs are expected to be created in the 18-year SDC implementation period.
The sectors being promoted under the SDC initiative are agriculture, tourism, manufacturing and logistics.
The SDC aims to multiply the agriculture sector's GDP contribution by 4.1times to RM17 billion, increase total value of exports from RM9.1 billion to RM60 billion and reduce the negative balance of trade in food by 60 percent to RM353 million.
Three agriculture-based projects -- National Marine Aquaculture Centre, National Breeding Centre and Sabah Agro-Industrial Precinct -- have been identified as mega agriculture projects to be given a strong push in the SDC.
"We want to take these 18 years (period of the SDC) to eradicate poverty and enhance the livelihood of people in the agricultural sector," said State Agriculture and Food Industries Minister Datuk Abdul Rahim Ismail.
The SDC targets the tourism receipts to soar to RM48.5 billion by 2025 from just RM2.88 billion in 2006.
Among the SDC's highlights for tourism development is marketing Sabah as an exclusive holiday home destination, developing new tourism products anchored by signature resorts, encouraging rural participation through community-based tourism and developing a one-district one-product programme.
In the manufacturing sector, the oil & gas and biomass recovery sectors will be among the priority sectors.
A new industrial park -- Sipitang Industrial Park which is earmarked for gas-based and shipbuilding-related projects -- will take off following the launch of SDC.
The manufacturing sector targets by 2025 to boost capital investments to RM2.96 billion from RM208 million in 2006.
Strategies have been outlined for the logistics sector to address the current high cost of doing business which includes the establishment of the Sepanggar Free Zone adjacent to the Sepanggar Bay Container Port.
-- BERNAMA
Friday, January 25, 2008
Sabah - An Introduction
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Sabah is a Malaysian state located on the northern portion of the island of Borneo. It is the second largest state in Malaysia after Sarawak, which it borders with on its south-west. It also shares a border with the province of East Kalimantan of Indonesia in the south. Sabah used to be a British crown colony known as North Borneo prior to partnership with Federation of Malaya, Sarawak and Singapore to form the Federation of Malaysia in 1963. Its state capital is Kota Kinabalu, formerly known as Jesselton. Sabah is known as Sabah, negeri di bawah bayu, which means 'Sabah, land below the wind', because of its location being just south of the typhoon prone region around the Philippines.
Geography
The western part of Sabah is generally mountainous, containing the three highest mountains in Malaysia. The most prominent range is the Crocker Range which houses several mountains of varying height from about 1,000 metres to 4,000 metres. At the height of 4,095 metres, Mount Kinabalu is the highest mountain in Malaysia and the second highest in Southeast Asia after Puncak Jaya in Indonesia. While the government of Malaysia officially considers it the highest mountain in Southeast Asia, there are counterclaims that Puncak Jaya is the highest mountain. The argument centres around whether New Guinea could be considered a part of Southeast Asia. So far there is no precise consensus on this, and the view that Mount Kinabalu is indeed the tallest mountain in Southeast Asia is more prevalent. The jungles of Sabah are classified as rainforests and host a diverse array of plant and animal species. Kinabalu National Park was inscribed as a World Heritage Site in 2000 because of its richness in plant diversity combined with its unique geological, topographical, and climatic conditions.
Lying nearby Mount Kinabalu is Mount Tambuyukon. At a height of 2,579 metres, it is the third highest peak in the country. Adjacent to the Crocker Range is the Trus Madi Range which houses the second highest peak in the country, Mount Trus Madi, at a height of 2,642 metres. There are lower ranges of hills extending towards the western coasts, southern plains, and the interior or central part of Sabah. These mountains and hills are traversed by an extensive network of river valleys and are in most cases covered with dense rainforest.
The central and eastern portion of Sabah are generally lower mountain ranges and plains with occasional hills. Kinabatangan River begins from the western ranges and snakes its way through the central region towards the east coast out into the Sulu Sea. It is the second longest river in Malaysia after Rejang River at a length of 560 kilometres. The forests surrounding the river valley also contains an array of wildlife habitats, and is the largest forest-covered floodplain in Malaysia.
Other important wildlife regions in Sabah include Maliau Basin, Danum Valley, Tabin, and Sepilok. These places are either designated as national parks, wildlife reserves, virgin jungle reserves, or protection forest reserve.
Over three quarters of the human population inhabit the coastal plains. Major towns and urban centers have sprouted along the coasts of Sabah. The interior region remains sparsely populated with only villages, and the occasional small towns or townships.
Beyond the coasts of Sabah lies a number of islands and coral reefs, including the largest island in Malaysia, Pulau Banggi. Other larger islands include, Pulau Jambongan, Pulau Balambangan, Pulau Timbun Mata, Pulau Bumbun, and Pulau Sebatik. Other popular island mainly for tourism are, Pulau Sipadan, Pulau Selingan, Pulau Gaya, Pulau Tiga, Pulau Layang-Layang, and many more.
Economy
Sabah's economy was traditionally heavily lumber dependent, based on export of tropical timber, but with increasing depletion of the natural forests and ecological efforts to save remaining natural rainforest areas, palm oil has emerged as a more sustainable resource. Other agricultural products important in the Sabah economy include rubber and cacao. Tourism is currently the second largest contributor to the economy. There are other exports; like seafood & vegetable.
In 1970, Sabah ranked as one of the richest states in the federation, with a per capita GDP second only to Selangor (which then included Kuala Lumpur).[14] However, despite its vast wealth of natural resources, Sabah is currently the poorest of Malaysia's states. Average incomes are now among the lowest in Malaysia, and with a considerably higher cost of living than in West Malaysia. In 2000, Sabah had an unemployment rate of 5.6 per cent - the highest of any Malaysian state and almost twice the national average of 3.1 per cent. The state has the highest poverty level in the country at 16 per cent, more than three times the national average. Part of the problem is the inequitable distribution of wealth between the State and the Federal government, and large numbers of illegal immigrants from Indonesia, Philippines, even East Timor, whose population was estimated to be in the region of half a million people. In 2004, the poverty level worsened to 22 per cent.
The recent tabling of Ninth Malaysia Plan has allocated RM16.908 billion for Sabah, the second highest state allocation after Sarawak's but it is still only 8% of the total national budget for a population of Sabah of more than 13%, and area of more than 25%.
The fund is pledged to improve the state's rural areas, improving the state's transportation and utilities infrastructures and boosting the economy of Sabah. The government has placed its focus on three major areas of the economy which have the potential to be Sabah's growth engine. These are agriculture, manufacturing and tourism.
Urban centers and ports
There are currently 7 ports in Sabah: Kota Kinabalu Port, Sepanggar Bay Container Port, Sandakan Port, Tawau Port, Kudat Port, Kunak Port, and Lahad Datu Port. These ports are operated and maintained by Sabah Ports Authority.[19] The major towns and city are:
| Rank | City | Population [20] |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kota Kinabalu | 532,129 |
| 2 | Sandakan | 448,074 |
| 3 | Tawau | 349,962 |
| 4 | Lahad Datu | 119,938 |
| 5 | Keningau | 97,152 |
| 6 | Semporna | 71,157 |
| 7 | Kudat | 34,481 |
Tourism
Tourism, particularly eco-tourism, is a major contributor to the economy of Sabah. In 2006, 2 million tourists visited Sabah[21] and it is estimated that the number will continue to rise following rigorous promotional activities by the state and national tourism boards and also better stability and security in the region. Sabah currently has 6 national parks. One of it, the Kinabalu National Park, was designated as a World Heritage Site in 2000. It is the first of two sites in Malaysia to obtain the status, the other being the Gunung Mulu National Park in Sarawak. These parks are maintained and controlled by Sabah Parks as under the Parks Enactment 1984. Sabah Wildlife Department also has conservation, utilization, and management responsibility.[22]
National Parks
- Mount Kinabalu National Park - the second highest mountain in Southeast Asia with an altitude of 4,101 metres (13,455 ft). It is only lower than Puncak Jaya in Irian Jaya on the island of New Guinea, Indonesia at 4,884 metres.
- Turtle Islands Park - conservation efforts for endangered sea turtles
- Tunku Abdul Rahman Park - A National Park consisting of five islands off the coast of Kota Kinabalu
- Pulau Tiga National Park
- Crocker Range National Park
- Tawau Hills Park