PENAMPANG: The Beverly Hills area and the Bundusan Plaza shoplots have grown unsightly due to neglect, according to Parti Warisan Sabah Kapayan Chief, Pritchard Gumbaris.
In a statement, he said Sabah should be proud to have a “Beverly Hills” to call its own. Images of high-end properties and tip-top infrastructure play in the minds of visitors and locals as it could be likened to that of the American TV series Beverly Hills 90210.
He said it is, however, only a smoke screen that hides an area that is neglected and a community that has long been suffering from being ignored by the authorities.
“Let us take for example, the Bundusan Plaza Shoplots at Beverly Hills. The roads have not been repaired p for years especially the one near the abandoned police depot,” he shared.
According to him, intermittent floods occur whenever it rains and the after flow that leaves muck in its wake are a nightmare for both visitors and shop owners alike.
He made the statement after Warisan Kapayan Action Force (WaKAF) volunteer Sonnie Hamdin together with him made their rounds there recently.
He said they spoke to a few shop owners who repeatedly voiced out their displeasure over the endless cycle of flash floods that threaten to ruin their business and lamented that no one in authority cared enough to hear their complaints.
The smell and pot holes on roads are some of the reasons why visitors seldom venture there, he said adding that it is a pity as there are good eateries found in that area.
According to him, he contacted an officer of the Bundusan Plaza Management team on how best to settle this conundrum and he found out that they did not know whom to liaise within the authority.
Pritchard, who is also Special Aide to Darell Leiking, Penampang Member of Parliament, arranged for the Bundusan Plaza Management team to work with the Penampang District Council on how best to overcome this dilemma.
Pritchard said, “It will be good if every property management around Penampang especially in Kapayan is briefed by the Penampang District Council or even better, talks given to them on the process and procedures in handling issues that relate to the community’s wellbeing.”
“After all,” he added “we live here too”.-PR/BNN
