Tan Sri Harris Mohd Salleh wants Sabah Law Association to reconsider objection to new courthouse

June 21, 2012  - KOTA KINABALU –

Former Chief Minister Tan Sri Harris Mohd Salleh is appealing to the Sabah Law Association (SLA) to reconsider its objection to build a new courthouse in Bukit Punai here.

Harris said in his statement when commenting on a report that SLA had urged the authorities to reconsider the decision to relocate the Kota Kinabalu (KK) courthouse to Bukit Punai, near the St Francis Convent Secondary School and Gaya Teachers’ Training Institute .

Harris gave as an example the Melaka courthouse which houses under one roof the High Court, the Sessions Court, the Magistrate’s Court and the Syariah Court, together with one library and one canteen.“It is built about 12km from the city and therefore there is no reason why the Sabah courthouse in the centre of busy KK City can’t be moved just a few kilometers away on a prominent area with no traffic jam,” Harris said.

He also said the new courthouse should also include the native and Syariah courts, a common library and a canteen.

Harris further said Bukit Punai has the following advantages: a commanding hilltop and surrounded by roads; the whole hill is about 25 acres, the government can always acquire any private land around the hill as it is not the question of the small area of the land; it is not congested and the 25 acres of land can be developed with beautiful landscaping with benches where lawyers and the public can take their recess time and relax.

“It is argued by fair consideration that Bukit Punai is the place for the courthouse in the next 50 years and beyond.

He said the SLA also questioned that land allocated was only five acres but the whole hill is about 20 to 25 acres and bounded by roads.

“Therefore, land is not a problem; surely the courthouse should receive priority over either the private or public sector requirements,” Harris said, adding that a courthouse must be in a prominent and dignified place.

“It should have the image that ‘orang salah’ just going to the court building feels ‘salah’ even before the trial.

Harris then said nevertheless, if the rest were private land, the government could just simply acquire it in the interest of the nation and Sabah.

“The motto that ‘service first before self’ is very appropriate in this case.”  He hoped SLA would reconsider their objection and support the site of the new Sabah courthouse