KOTA KINABALU: Former Chief Minister Datuk Yong Teck Lee and Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) Sembulan Chairman Datuk Philip Yong said it was inappropriate for Chief Minister Datuk Osu Haji Sukam to interfere with the Gaya Street issue at this juncture.

In a joint statement issued here Sunday, they claimed that Osu had given the impression that the State Government would not give due consideration to the plight of the Gaya Street stakeholders over the changes taking place there over the last two months.

City Hall is currently implementing the pedestrian-friendly concept under a project at Gaya Street, resulting in the closure of a section of the street and the elimination of parking spaces for vehicles.

In recent weeks, there have been public objections by businessmen operating in the area claiming their businesses had declined drastically since the project was implemented two months ago.

Members of the public, particularly motorists, also complained that they could not shop in their familiar outlets due to lack of parking spaces. However, City Hall then said the project would be reviewed after three months.

However, Osu said during a visit there Sunday that there was no need for any review at the moment.

"We are surprised to see the Chief Minister imposing his will on a localised issued such as this by abruptly brushing aside all public views expressing a need to review the project at the end of the three-month trial period," said both Yongs.

They noted that Mayor Datuk Abdul Ghani Rashid had himself announced earlier that City Hall had assigned Universiti Malaysia Sabah the task of making an independent survey on feedback on the project.

He (Ghani) had also made it clear that all views would be considered when the trial period ends next month, they said.

"The Mayor had, in a recent public statement, also opened up the possibility that the project could be scrapped," they added.

Yong is SAPP President and Gaya MP, as well as LIkas Assemblyman, while Philip is the former Gaya MP.

They said City Hall and the State Government shold be more appreciative and understanding that many complex problems faced by the Gaya Street Sunday fair hawkers and the Gaya Street stakeholders arising from the experimental pedestrian-friendly project, instead of being so hasty in brushing their views aside.