State Youth and Sports Minister Phoong Jin Zhe hopes to see a win-win situation over the land row between Sabah Urban Development Corporation (SUDC) and Kota Kinabalu Chinese Chamber of Commerce (KKCCCI). 

The land involved 7,200 square feet next to the Chung Hwa Primary School here. 

Phoong said he will bring the matter to the Cabinet meeting on Wednesday. 

“We don’t want to blame anyone, we want a win-win solution. The KKCCCI has said the land is not for themselves or commercial, but for education. 

“If it’s for education, I think we at the State Government can discuss. We should take this matter with an open heart and find a win-win solution acceptable to both,” he said. 

On Saturday, Kota Kinabalu MP Chan Foong Hin expressed hope that the Lands and Surveys Department can step in to help resolve the issue which Chan believed was technical.

It was reported that the Mayor has issued a “Stop Work” order on the supposedly unauthorised construction activities since Aug 2. 

On Sept 6, KKCCCI was reported urging the relevant authority to compel unauthorised construction activities since Aug. 2 on 7,200 square feet next to the Chung Hwa Primary School here, which is managed by KKCCCI, to be stopped.

Highlighting the erection of permanent structure on the land and showing past approved development plans for Star City project by first Mayor Datuk Abdul Ghani Rashid acknowledging KKCCCI’s land, its President Datuk Michael Lui appealed for a Stop Work Order. 

Lui also asked whether there was any application submitted by the contractor with official approval given by DBKK for the fencing up of the chamber’s parcel of land.

Lui and KKCCCI Executive Secretary Tan Kar Seng explained how an intermediate piece of land between the SESB Substation and a corner site land was allocated to the Chung Hwa Primary School by A.C. Property Development Sdn Bhd, the former developer of Star City Mall and Asia City, in lieu of the acquisition of Kampung Air TL 017519621 in June 29, 1996 owned by the chamber for the mall project.

Last Friday, the SUDC, in a statement, said the claim of ownership of the land by KKCCCI is unsubstantiated.

The wholly-owned subsidiary and property development arm of Sabah Economic Development Corporation (Sedco) argued that based on documents obtained from the Lands and Survey Department of Kota Kinabalu on Sept. 3, 2019, the land was acquired by the Yang di-Pertua Negeri of Sabah on June 29, 1996, for the purpose of developing and expanding the Kota Kinabalu City area.  

It said on Dec. 3, 1997, a new title was issued to Sedco.

“As such, Sedco reaffirms its ownership of the current title for this piece of land and there is no subdivision or change of ownership. Sedco strongly refutes any allegations of a ‘land grab’ or impropriety involving the said land.

“Therefore, Sabah Urban Development Corporation (SUDC), the property development arm of Sedco, does not have any obligation to materialise any promises made by the previous developer of the Star City project,” it said.

In the spirit of resolving this matter amicably, SUDC is said to have had a meeting with KKCCCI representatives on Aug. 30, 2019 at Dewan Bandaraya Kota Kinabalu (DBKK). 

According to the statement, all parties at the meeting agreed that KKCCCI will submit documentation to support its claims for review.