Luqman's musings

  Dear Datuk Abidin Madingkir, I read an article that said several of the statutory bodies are under your purview in your role as Assistant Minister to the Chief Minister. The article further said that you go on rounds to ensure the effective operations of government machinery. In addition to serving as Mayor of Kota Kinabalu from 2011 until 2016, you were also Permanent Secretary to various ministries such as the Local Government and Housing. Datuk you approved the development of Vistana Heights in 2011 when you were the mayor. The development plan was checked by Datuk Alijus Sipil. 

  On 15 Jul 2025 11:08, luqman michel <luqmanm2002@yahoo.co.uk> wrote: Dear YB Datuk Abidin Madingkir, I am forwarding you an email I just sent to Mr.Stanley Chong and the current Mayor of DBKK. The Vistana Heights project's development plan was approved by you in 2011. The subsequent Development Plan was prepared and submitted to DBKK in 2018 after the project was completed. The plan was based on fabricated as-built survey. The 2018 Development Plan does not conform to the as-built survey plan and is different from the plan approved by you in 2011.

                                           This is a recent photo of the land that collapsed behind                                                   house D18 (Previously numbered S17 & S18).   The Director General’s dismissal during the May 5 and June 11, 2025, meetings, without providing evidence or a formal response, raises questions about transparency and accountability. Writing to him twice without receiving a written reply is concerning, especially given DBKK’s public service mandate. The absence of a formal response could suggest procedural lapses or an unwillingness to engage with public inquiries, which contradicts DBKK’s stated commitment to transparency. 

  Here is a follow up on my post yesterday. LINK The image of the letter to the S19 house-buyer in 2012, indicates that in Sabah the cart can be placed before the horse in many instances. The platform height of House No S19 (now renumbered S2) in the original Development Plan dated 1995 and approved by DBKK and the Development Plan attached to Faisal’s Sales & Purchase agreement is 100 feet.

    Tatal ke bawah untuk melihat terjemahan ke dalam Bahasa Melayu Is the alteration to the house platform height from 101 feet to 106.26 feet, as specified in the sales and purchase agreement (SPA), allowed or legal? The SPA states that "no change or deviation from the approved plans shall be made without the consent in writing of the purchaser."

  During the DBKK (Dewan Bandaraya Kota Kinabalu) meetings held on May 5, 2025, and June 11, 2025, the Director General (DG), summarily dismissed my inquiry regarding whether a retaining wall was mandated in the development plans for Vistana Heights. This raises questions about the basis for his confident assertion that no retaining wall was required in the development plans approved in 2018. How can he be so certain of this claim? Is he implying that the officers and the mayor who approved the 2018 development plan overlooked critical structural requirements or acted negligently? 

  In Malaysia, including under the jurisdiction of Dewan Bandaraya Kota Kinabalu (DBKK), the development plan must be submitted and approved by the relevant local authority before commencing any development. Commencing development without prior approval is considered illegal. The discrepancy between the platform height in the Sales and Purchase Agreement (S&P) (101 feet) and the Development Plan (DP) approved by DBKK in 2018 (106.26 feet) raises important considerations: Did the developer revise the platform height to comply with DBKK’s requirements?