Papar businesses object to flyover project — Mositun
PAPAR: State Legislative Assembly Deputy Speaker Datuk Johnny Mositun hopes that the government would consider scrapping the plan to build a flyover along the Pan Borneo Highway at the roundabout near Benoni Commercial Centre (BCC) in view of the objections from local businesses here.
He said yesterday that it was not necessary nor viable to build the flyover at Benoni roundabout at the moment as it would affect business growth at BCC.
Mositun explained that the flyover would cause regular and new travellers to overlook and drive past BCC without stopping at the commercial centre.
He said the development fund for the flyover, which amounted to over RM10 million, could be channeled to other Pan Borneo Highway packages.
“The flyover is good for the people but not so for the business community at Benoni (Commercial Centre),” said Mositun.
As such, he hoped that the government would consider scrapping the flyover given the objection of the business people at BCC, a commercial centre which was just starting to grow.
He suggested installing traffic lights at the Benoni roundabout instead of building a flyover.
Mositun said this when gracing the BCC Chinese New Year celebration as the guest of honour here yesterday.
Meanwhile, WSG Group managing director Datuk Susan Wong Siew Guen said the the economy of Papar was just beginning to take off but the flyover would have an adverse impact on local businesses.
She said the flyover would affect the traffic going to Papar and BCC as travellers could head straight for Kota Kinabalu instead.
On another note, Susan said now was the best time to invest in real estate.
She said BCC was strategically located along the Pan Borneo Highway, which was slated to be completed in 2019.
Upon completion of the Pan Borneo Highway, she said the value of BCC was bound to appreciate and deliver good return for investors.
“Those who wish to invest in real estate should seize the opportunity to acquire the shoplots at BCC,” said Susan.
She said the first and second phases of BCC had obtained the Occupation Certificate (OC), while only a few units were available for phase three.
She added that BCC was only three kilometres away from Papar town, and was located in close proximity to the Papar Middle School.
BCC has a total of 177 units of two and three-storey shoplots. The first two phases are already sold out and occupied whereas only 10 out of the 48 units in phase three are available. Each unit for the third phase is priced at RM1.2 million and expected to be completed in mid-2018.
Susan said Servay Hypermarket and KFC are also expected to enter BCC next year.
She added that future development of the commercial centre included an 11-storey hotel with 250 rooms and a shopping mall.
Meanwhile, Susan said the Benoni Gardens Apartment comprised two 13-storey residential towers with 115 units in each block. There are three types of units to choose from, namely 560, 900 or 1,000 square feet (sq ft).
She said the 560 sq ft studio unit was priced from RM190,000 onwards, while the 900 sq ft and 1,000 sq ft units from RM250,000 onwards.
She said buyers would get to enjoy a special discount yesterday in conjunction with the Chinese New Year celebrations.
Susan said buyers could purchase the apartment as their own homes or as investments to be leased to business operators and Papar Middle School students.
Also present were WSG Group directors Datuk Wong Ten An, Vanessa Wong, Melissa Wong and Jonathan Wong.