KOTA KINABALU, Sept 21 — The Kota Kinabalu City Hall (DBKK) said it will defer proposed work on the pre-war Sembulan water village until another engagement with landowners next month.
KK Mayor Datuk Sabin Samitah said they hoped to resolve issues that arose during a heated dialogue today, before proceeding with phase two of the renewal programme to rejuvenate the water village.
“We want to ensure the safety and hygiene of the people in the Sembulan area, particularly the water villages. So, we have the responsibility to carry out clean up works regardless of the notice. There have been many complaints about the state of the water village,” he said.
He also assured the villagers that no demolition work would be done until then.
Deputy Chief Minister III Datuk Shahelmey Yahya, who is also the Putatan MP, said after attending today’s sessions that DBKK would meet owners again on October 8.
The dialogue today was over an eviction notice issued from DBKK and Land and Survey Department for the villagers to vacate their premises within 14 days of September 19.
Residents, alarmed and angered by the notice, claimed that they were denied rights to their ancestral land and forced out to make way for the Sembulan Urban Renewal Scheme that was mooted more than 20 years ago.
Earlier, Sabin said that the state government authorised DBKK to manage the 42-acre area, which includes 169 lots.
Of the 169, 105 lots have expired while 64 lots are still active. Under the law, the title owners will be given compensation decided by the government while those without lease had no right to occupy the land.
Sabin said that he has received complaints about the litter and waste in the waterways of the area, but declined to answer when asked about plans for the village.
The lot owners were given a “country lease” or CL titles decades ago. These are usually given to an area outside the city and have a limited term, which has expired in this case.
“We were informed that there was a freeze so we cannot renew the lease. We do not know why and we have sent 14 memorandums to various authorities to plead our case which have all gone unanswered,” said Kampung Sembulan Lama Residents and Welfare Association chairman Osman Omar Khan.
Osman, who dominated the dialogue at the Sembulan Lama community hall today, said the residents and lot owners wanted their leases renewed and the redevelopment cancelled.
Osman said he was pleased with the outcome of the dialogue today as it presented an opportunity to get their cases heard, but warned that they would not accept anything less than what they were entitled to.
