By Arfandi Jaafar
Sports complex hostel to be closed March 18 for inspection
KOTA KINABALU: The hostel at the sports complex in Likas will be shut down for inspection to be conducted on its facilities.
Sabah Sports Board general manager Terrance Edward Pudin said the temporary closure would be effective next week on March 18.
“We will be closing the hostel to check on safety aspects so that any repair works that need to be done can be noted.
“As it stands, maintaining the hostel is very costly. Like all State government agencies, we are given a very limited budget to work with. But we have noted the concerns of this matter and we are taking immediate action to look into it,” he said.
Terrance told The Borneo Post this when responding to a complaint by a concerned parent whose child is participating in the on-going tennis tournament organised by the Sabah Schools Sports Council.
The tournament is being held at the Kota Kinabalu Sports Complex with young participants coming from all over Sabah. Many of them are staying at the hostel in Likas.
The parent, identified as Jocelyn Lee had sent a statement to one of the local newspapers highlighting the conditions of the dormitory, which she described as appalling.
According to Jocelyn, the walls and ceiling are peeling at several places and looked like they could fall off at any time.
She also said that the shower rooms seemed to have been vandalised with shower heads and control knobs missing.
Meanwhile, Terrance said he was thankful for the feedback as it gives Sabah Sports Board a chance to look into the matter for improvement.
“We encourage this sort of feedback and in this case we acknowledge the concerns highlighted to us on the hostel’s condition.
“We apologise and feel sorry for any disappointments. Rest assured we will conduct the inspection thoroughly and make improvements where necessary,” he said.
Towards this end, Terrance anticipates that many people will be forced to seek accommodation elsewhere during the temporary closure.
“We apologise if this causes any inconvenience to the public. We will work as quickly as we can to try and resume operations as soon as possible.
“Any repair works that need to be done will take a bit of time. There is a process that we must follow so we hope the public will be patient and understanding,” he said.
For the record, the hostel is constantly booked to capacity as it offers the cheapest rates in comparison to others. Its close proximity to the sports complex also makes it a preferred choice for accommodation needs.