Dislodged street tiles, sinkholes to be rectified
SANDAKAN: Loose street tiles and minor sinkholes at Sandakan Harbour Square (SHS) will be fixed as soon as possible.
The assurance was given by Taren Sunil Manoharan, Head of the Highway & Public Utilities Committee (HPUC) which is under the Sandakan Municipal Council.
During a visit there, Taren and HPUC committee members were joined by Basit Othman (PPM Tanjung Papat) and senior representatives of the developer of SHS as well as Four Points by Sheraton Sandakan Hotel (FPSS).
“SHS is the pride and heartbeat of Sandakan town with Four Points by Sheraton Sandakan Hotel towering imposingly over the area as its key landmark. Integrated with it is the Sandakan Harbour Mall, a trendy shopping centre for tourists and locals alike. Several other hotels and a lot of popular seaside restaurants are also located in the vicinity. As such HPUC will ensure that the roads and public facilities there are up to mark,” said Taren.
He added that SHS and its adjoining areas such as the waterfront esplanade are popular with foreign and local tourists and it is very important for the place to be well maintained and kept clean to attract more tourists to help perk up the local economy.
He pointed to the need to properly repair the dislodged road tiles and fill up several sinkholes that have appeared along the roads.
“The roads around the nearby Sandakan Central market are also in need of some touch-up or even resurfacing. The damaged pavements at several places will have to be done up. HPUC will also recommend additional lights for the entire area,” he said.
Taren also said that the presence of Datu Thomas Lau, a consultant with the developer ICSD Ventures Sdn Bhd, and David Scully, the general manager of FPSS, helped HPUC better understand what needs to be done to highlight Sandakan Harbour Square, its Mall and FPSS Hotel as the ‘Pulse of the City’.
“In fact, the Sandakan Municipal Council is a joint development partner of the SHS integrated urban renewal project that was officially opened in 2012,” he said.