Objection period for plan extended to give public more time to air grouses

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KOTA KINABALU: The public objection period for the Draft Kota Kinabalu Local Plan (KKLP) 2020 has been extended by a month to January 26 next year.

Kota Kinabalu City Mayor Datuk Abidin Madingkir said city hall decided to extend the objection period due the high number of public requests.

He hoped that during the extension period more members of the public especially those whose land are directly or indirectly involved in the new proposed land use zoning in the Draft KKLP 2020 take the opportunity to scrutinise the draft and make written objections if necessary.

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Abidin said during the three months objection period, which began on Sept 26, more than 300 visitors including property owners, developers, government and non-government bodies, professional bodies and residents of Kota Kinabalu City had visited the exhibition.

The venue for the exhibition of the Draft KKLP 2020 is at Level 1, DBKK Meeting Room, which is open on Monday to Friday from 8.00am to 5pm.

Apart from that, booths were also held during the SHAREDA Propex Exhibition (30th September-2nd October 2011), 1 Borneo (1st-2nd October 2011) and Centre Point’s Palm Square (15th-16th October 2011).

In total, the Mayor said, its City Planning Department have received 67 written objections from the affected landowners and about 28 written suggestions.

With the given time extension of another one month, the Mayor hopes that more people would participate in scrutinising the Draft KKLP 2020 and submit their objection if necessary.

Describing the written objections as site-specific in nature, Abidin said they will need to be resolved in a formal, comprehensive and case-by-case manner through public hearings consistent with the Town Planning Ordinance.

He said city hall was also in the process of making arrangements on how and when the public hearings should be held and administered.

In the meantime, he called on all potential and existing objectors not to wait until the last minute to hand in their completed objection forms.

He said the sooner submissions are received, the sooner the public hearings on objections to the Draft KKLP 2020 can be heard.

Abidin therefore encouraged all members of the public to visit the exhibition. while it is still on and to read through the “Frequently Asked Questions” brochure and exhibition posters.

They can give us their constructive input, exercise their individual right and learn more about the role they can play to transform Kota Kinabalu City into a better place to live, work and visit, he added.