Kota Kinabalu and Sandakan some lessons in development

(First of two parts)

The first time I went to Kota Kinabalu(KK), the Airport Terminal was mostly made of wood, and the surrounding forests seemed so dense and green. The second time, I was in transit on the way to Kuala Lumpur, and the Airport Terminal was a spanking new steel and glass modern structure. The forests were still visible and green. Last month, I was on an eco-adventure trip to Kota Kinabalu and Sandakan, and the economic and social developments of these two cities are worth studying and emulating. 

KK and Sandakan are two cities in the Malaysian state of Sabah. It is in the island of Borneo, an island which is shared by Indonesia and Brunei. KK is the capital of Sabah, while Sandakan is another city of the same size, on the eastern side of the island. These are the two fastest growing cities in Malaysia, with populations at 500,000 in each city, comprising 25% of the total population of Sabah.  This state is known for its natural resources, like timber, abundant water, rich marine life and agricultural products like cacao, rubber, and fruits. Its development strategy is to gradually diversify and balance the economy by processing the natural resources and agricultural products, and enhance the tourism services industry, without damaging the ecosystem.  

Aside from the modern and expanded airport and airport terminal, the road network in and around KK and Sandakan , and the roads connecting to the tourism areas are impressive. Most roads within a ten kilometer radius around the cities are 4-lane roads with island dividers. Beyond the 10 km. radius are 2-lane, well paved roads going as far as 150 km. to the tourism and agricultural areas. This makes the movement of people and goods easier, and decongests the city center as residential and commercial developments sprout on the outskirts of the cities. This is the “if you build it they will come theory,” of how the proper infrastructure spurs development. Blessed by good topography and a rainforest, water resources are abundant to serve the cities’ growth, as can be seen by the visible water transmission pipes along the roads. With the good road, the water supply, and the adequate power available, it was not difficult for KK to develop satellite residential and commercial centers, five to ten km. away from the original town center which was already congested.

We were on an eco-adventure tour so this trip took me to Kinabalu Park, which at 4000 ft. above sea level is at the foot of the 14,000 ft. Mount Kinabalu. We walked another 2 km. to go up another 1500 ft. on a trail with canopy bridges hanging among the trees 20 to 30 ft. from the ground. There was a warning that you have to be physically fit to do the trek, so most tourists opt to stay at the hot springs at the Park. I joined a group of young people, most of them half my age, and acquitted myself, but my feet and legs ached for two days. The trek was fun but what was amazing is the way the rainforest and the mountain are preserved. There are always trekkers who climb all the way to the top of Mt. Kinabalu, thousands of them every year, and yet the forests and the trail seem to have minimal damage, with huge trees still standing. The whole place has been declared a national park and developments are governed by strict guidelines as to expanse, height, waste output, and use of resources. Some lapses are visible as there are structures along the cliffs which I believe should not be there, but the ratio of open space in relation to the structures are certainly very much better than in Baguio or Tagaytay. 

The following day, we went to Sandakan to view the feeding of the Orangutans at the Sepilok Orang Utan Sanctuary. The sanctuary is manned by government employees and many volunteers, who are tasked to rehabilitate orphaned orangutans from logging sites, plantations, and illegal hunting, and return them to the wild as soon as they are ready and able to survive in their natural habitat. More than 4500 hectares of virgin jungle are designated as forest reserve for these fourth largest apes on earth.