Sabah is blessed with many great beach locations, and although most of them are a little distant from the city, one in particular is worth a visit. Not only is Tanjung Aru famous for its palm trees, hawker stalls and beachside cafes, it is also the place for people to get the best seats for viewing the greatest sunset on earth every evening when the crimson sun slowly dips slowly into the horizon, leaving the vast skies fiery orange.

With tourism down globally due to Covid-19 pandemic, there have been talks about reviving one of Sabah’s most sought-after projects; Tanjung Aru Eco Development (TAED) so that it is ready when tourism is expected to recover in 2023. It is believed that this development will shift the world tourist attention to Sabah.

The proposed mixed development project is expected to kick-start this year but on a smaller scale and without involving any sea reclamation. TAED was the project first introduced by the then Barisan Nasional Government before GE14.

The project, covering some 340ha, was said to have seven hotels with 1,800 rooms, 5,000 apartment and condominium units, marinas and entertainment venues as well as a 133ha golf course.

It was proposed that a certain section of the development will be developed into residential properties for the younger generations of Sabah with the catch that the residential unit shall not be sold in the first five years. The second catch is the unit can only be sold back to a local resident (Sabahan only).

Tanjung Aru Beach had undergone heavy erosion over the last 50 years and that despite efforts by the Sabah government to stop the erosion through the setting up of barricades against the sea waves, it had failed. 

After much discussions going from-pillar-to-post, although a detailed version of the latest TAED project has yet to be announced, residents in Tanjung Aru are hopeful for sustainable development in the area. 

Tanjung Aru beach has always been the people’s beach and appreciated by both locals and tourists. The development will not only upgrade the natural existing beauty, historical and heritage of Tanjung Aru, it will also improve and beautify the beach and its surrounding area; bringing value to it and putting the people’s needs first.

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