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KOTA KINABALU – A public park built in honour of the late Tun Fuad Stephens, who served as the first chief minister of Sabah in the 1960s, in Bukit Padang here will be closed for some two years to make way for a large botanic garden.
The park, which is popular as a recreational spot for joggers and nature lovers, will be closed from December 10 this year until September 18, 2024.
An e-poster released by the Kota Kinabalu City Hall (DBKK) revealed that the closure will only be for the recreational area, which is a major part of Tun Fuad Stephens Park.
Restaurants, a function hall, and the hawker area will remain accessible to the public.
DBKK also proposed that visitors go to other public parks within the city, such as Likas Bay Park, Tg Aru Park, Cycleway Phase 3 Park, Ujana Rimba Tropika Park, Perdana Park and others located in residential areas around the city.
When contacted, Kota Kinabalu mayor Datuk Noorliza Awang Alip told The Vibes that the botanical project will take place, but recreational activities will be allowed there when the site is reopened in 2024.
However, she noted that she could not ascertain whether the name Tun Fuad Stephens Park will be dropped.
The park was built in honour of Stephens, who perished in a plane crash, in an event known as the Double Six Tragedy, in 1976. He served as chief minister on two occasions and was also Sabah governor from 1973 to 1975.
The park presently features a 2.1km asphalt jogging path with various tree species surrounding a man-made lake.
In 2017, the hall, seafood restaurants, and hawker area were shut down due to the expiration of the concession tenure of its then-operator. – The Vibes, November 29, 2022