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REVIVAL IN TAWAU AND
THE TAWAU MUNICIPAL COUNCIL
In the DAILY EXPRESS NEWS today,
Thursday 28th June 2007
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Notorious Tawau area to make way for RM1.5bil project
Kota Kinabalu: An ambitious project with a price tag of RM1.5 billion to develop Kampung Titingan into Bandar Baru Titingan will see the notorious Tawau hotbed for social ills transformed into one of Sabah's tourism destinations.
Industrial Development Minister Datuk Ewon Ebin said the problems at the squatter area have reached critical level that is not only burdening the locals staying there but has had an impact on security aspects.
Among the problems, he said, were health-related issues, drugs, crime, smuggling activities and illegal immigrants.
"The area has become a major cause for worry among leaders in the locality and also at State level because of its influence and negative impact on the entire Tawau population," he said, after witnessing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signing between Sedco and Akar Budi Tuah Sdn Bhd, here, Wednesday.
He said the Government had attempted to resolve the perennial problems there numerous times in the past but to no avail due to the problems' complexity.
However, with the signing of the MoU, he said they hope to settle the problems once and for all through an integrated and holistic development project.
The Bandar Baru Titingan would be built on a 326-acre site where the present Kampung Titingan is located.
Ewon said the project would not only focus on commercial needs but other aspects such as administration, education, research and socio-economy.
"In fact, the project would also provide comfortable areas for recreational activities for the residents, Tawau community and tourists," he said.
He said the construction of the Bandar Baru Titingan would include:
- Tawau administration centre
- Integrated biotechnology and medical centre
- Hadhari and Islamic studies centre
- Trade and commercial centre
- Housing
- Luxury condominiums (second housing programme)
- Sports academy and recreation centre
- Five star hotel and budget hotel
- Marina and water resort
- Seafront food centre and cultural village
Akar Budi Tuah Sdn Bhd mooted the proposal and subsequently started efforts to develop Kampung Titingan in 2005.
Ewon said the State Government fully supports the implementation of the project based on several factors.
"Firstly, the project has the potential to resolve the critical issues the Government is facing at the village, particularly to do with health arising from river pollution, haphazard drainage, fire outbreak threat, social ills like drugs, smuggling, illegal immigrants and gangsterism," he said.
Secondly, he said, the holistic and integrated development would eventually help eradicate squatters there.
He said the third factor is that the project has the potential to contribute towards enhancing the State Government's income through the local authority's collection of land premium, assessment and trading licence fees.
"The hotels and tourism centre would provide employment and business opportunities for the youths and people in Tawau," he said.
The fourth factor, Ewon said, is that the project would give a positive impact on the perception of the rakyat and the people in the locality of the Government's concern.
Fifthly, he said the smart partnership between bumiputera and non-bumiputera entrepreneurs together with government agencies like Sedco would help to achieve the "towering bumiputera" concept expounded in the New Economic Policy (NEP).
Sixthly, he said the project would not burden the Government because it would be developed through an integrated system.
According to him, several investors have shown keen interest to invest in the project.
He said the project has its own attraction being in a strategic location near the border.
"This is further strengthened by the Government's plan to turn Tawau as a Tax Free Zone," he said.
In addition, Ewon said there are also economic attractions, namely, oil palm, cocoa, timber, birds' nests, Danum Research and Biodiversity Centre, Palm Oil Industrial Cluster (POIC), Pulau Sipadan and diversity in cultures.
On other developments, he said Akar Budi Tuah has proposed to the Government that the Bandar Baru Titingan project be acknowledged as a project under the Sabah Development Corridor.
Also present were Assistant Minister of Industrial Development Jainab Ahmad, Rural Development Assistant Minister Datuk Tawfiq Abu Bakar Titingan, Sedco Deputy Chairman Datuk Liew Teck Chan, Sedco Group General Manager Maisuri Besri, Akar Budi Tuah Managing Director Dr Ismail Idris and Akar Budi Tuah Technical Director Datuk Jimmy Pang.
See also page 3 of the Borneo Post with the headline, “TAWAU PROJECT TO SOLVE SOCIAL , CRIME PROBLEMS
Lexborneo:- With the spotlight on Tawau in the Daily Express News, it is perhaps timely to study the legal creation of theTAWAU MUNICIPAL COUNCIL, the local government and authority in Tawau.
STATE OF SABAH
No. 37 of 1981
Tawau Municipal Council (Change of Status and Amalgamation) Enactment, 1981
21ST DECEMBER, 1981.
An Enactment to make provision for changes in title and other matters consequential upon the change of status and amalgamation of Tawau Town Board and Tawau Rural District Council to Tawau Municipal Council.
ENACTED by the Legislature of the State of Sabah as follows:
1. Short title and commencement.
This Enactment may be cited as the Tawau Municipal Council (Change of Status and Amalgamation) Enactment, 1981 and shall come into force on the 1st day of January, 1982.
2. Amalgamation of Tawau Town Board and Tawau Rural District Council.
The Tawau Town Board and the Tawau Rural District Council shall on the commencement of this Enactment be amalgamated into one and under the same jurisdiction to be known as the Tawau Municipal Council.
3. Existing subsidiary legislation.
All subsidiary legislation applicable to the area under the jurisdiction of the Tawau Town Board and Tawau Rural District Council shall continue to have effect in the area under the jurisdiction of the Tawau Municipal Council as if, the same had been made by the Tawau Municipal Council.
4. Amendment to titles.
In every written law—
(a) all references to the “Tawau Town Board” and “Tawau Rural District Council” shall be construed as references to “the Tawau Municipal Council”;
(b) all references to “the Chairman of the Tawau Town Board” and “Tawau Rural District Council” shall be construed as references to “the President of Tawau Municipal Council”; and
(c) all references to “the Chairman” in relation to the “Tawau Town Board” and “Tawau Rural District Council” shall be construed as references to “the President”.
5. Succession property.
All property movable or immovable and assets vested in or belonging to the Tawau Town Board and Tawau Rural District Council shall on the commencement of this Enactment be transferred to and vest in the Tawau Municipal Council.
6. Rights, liabilities and obligations.
All rights, liabilities and obligations of the Tawau Town Board and Tawau Rural District Council shall on the commencement of this Enactment become the rights, liabilities and obligations of the Tawau Municipal Council.
7. Existing employees.
All employees in the employ or in the service of the Tawau Town Board and Tawau Rural District Council shall on the commencement of this Enactment become employees in the employ or in the service of the Tawau Municipal Council on the same terms and conditions of service as those on which they were employed by the Tawau Town Board and Tawau Rural District Council.
8. Existing agreements.
All deeds, bonds, agreements, instruments and working arrangements subsisting immediately before the comencement of this Enactment affecting any of the undertakings, assets and liabilities vested in the Tawau Municipal Council under this Enactment shall have a full force and effect against or in favour of the Tawau Municipal Council, and be enforceable as fully and effectively as if, instead of the Tawau Town Board and Tawau Rural District Council, the Tawau Municipal Council had been named therein or had been a party thereto.
9. Existing legal proceedings.
All legal proceedings pending or existing by or against Tawau Town Board and Tawau Rural District Council immediately before the commencement of this Enactment may be continued or enforced by or against the Tawau Municipal Council.
10. Valuation list.
Any valuation list prepared by the Tawau Town Board and Tawau Rural District Council in respect of the area under its jurisdiction shall continue to be in force in the area under the jurisdiction of the Tawau Municipal Council as if the same had been prepared by the Tawau Municipal Council.
CERTIFIED by me to be a true copy of the Bill passed by the Assembly on Thursday, the 3rd December, 1981.
FREDERICK JINU,
Deputy Speaker.
