Kota Kinabalu: Tanjung Aru Assemblyman Datuk Junz Wong wants the State Economic Planning Unit (Upen Sabah) to explain why it has sat on the Sembulan Urban Renewal Scheme’s documents for nearly three months.
He also called on the Chief Minister’s Department to intervene and speed up the process.
Junz WongWong said City Hall (DBKK) submitted a full set of documents and proposals for the scheme to Upen shortly after he raised the matter in the July State Legislative Assembly sitting.
“Upen, which comes under the Chief Minister’s Department, has yet to complete its review or return the documents to DBKK,” he said.
“The standard procedure requires Upen to conduct the necessary due diligence, consolidate the economic and planning assessments and return the cleared documents to DBKK.
“Only then can the matter be tabled for final endorsement by the State Cabinet,” he said.
Wong’s initial questions in the Assembly led to meetings between Sembulan community representatives, Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor and Mayor Datuk Seri Dr Sabin Samitah, which he said established a clear pathway toward resolving the residents’ concerns.
“That progress has since stalled at the State level,” Wong said.
With Upen yet to act, Wong said DBKK is unable to move forward on compensation and relocation packages for affected residents.
He questioned the department’s performance and called for accountability from its leadership.
“Is Upen functioning effectively, or has it become a graveyard for the rakyat’s proposals? The Upen Director must be held accountable for this unacceptable delay,” he said, adding that it was unreasonable for a middle-management department to hold up a process the local authority and Chief Minister had already moved to resolve.
Wong said Sembulan residents were not opposed to redevelopment but wanted fairness, transparency and a proper relocation package.
“By sitting on these files, Upen is not just delaying paperwork; they are actively prolonging the anxiety, fear and uncertainty of hundreds of Sabahan families,” he said.
While acknowledging the Chief Minister and Sabin’s willingness to engage with the Sembulan Action Committee, Wong urged the Chief Minister’s Department to address the delay within its own ranks.
“I urge the Chief Minister’s Department to immediately intervene, direct the Upen Director to prioritise the Sembulan file and ensure the documents are consolidated and returned to DBKK without further delay so the State Cabinet can make a final, just decision,” he said.
Wong said he would continue to monitor the matter. “The Government must deliver on its promises and the bureaucracy must serve the people, not stall them,” he said.
