Kota Kinabalu: APP President Datuk Yong Teck Lee called for all port operations to be moved back promptly to Sepanggar Port.
He said shifting certain port-related cargo handling away from the 24-hour port to a temporary city-side facility created avoidable bottlenecks, rising public-infrastructure repair expenses and road-safety risks.
He said continued use of the temporary city port close to the Sabah International Convention Centre (SICC) placed unsustainable strain on inner-city transport links.
The former chief minister said the relevant agencies — the Public Works Department (JKR), City Hall (DBKK), the Road Transport Department (JPJ) and Sabah Ports— need to work as a coordinated task-force rather than shifting responsibility between departments.
He outlined three key issues stemming from the earlier operational shift:Heavy-vehicle traffic first compromised the bridge at Km 2.8 along Jalan Tun Fuad Stephens, forcing its closure and the installation of a temporary bridge with strict weight-and-height restrictions;After the bridge closure, heavy haulers were rerouted onto Signal Hill Park Road, causing severe road damage, safety hazards plus constant dust-and-noise nuisance for nearby residents; repairs for that road alone are estimated at RM500,000, raising questions over which agency will bear the restoration cost;The temporary city port was originally meant only for roll-on-roll-off vehicle cargo, yet it is now regularly handling large shipping containers and heavy metal coils whose trucks travel through residential zones and along Tuaran Road.
Yong noted that restoring dedicated heavy-cargo work back to Sepanggar would help protect urban road assets, stabilise freight-route predictability and support smoother trade-sector operations across the state.
