PENAMPANG: The town of Donggongon at Penampang started as a “resting area” for the people from the hills of Moyog and the fishermen as they converged to meet up, do business, and barter trade.
They referred to this place as “Tundongon,” meaning a place to rest. This resting area is historical, as it has been in existence since the 1950s.
Dr. Edwin Bosi, who is the Coordinator of Parti Anak Negeri for the West Coast, said Donggongon has seen rapid development after the nearby Kasigui town was demolished. There is consequence to development if it is not properly planned, he added.
One of the most obvious impacts is the smelly drainage around the town. Naturally, foul-smelling drains affect eating shops and restaurants. Needless to say, smelly and dirty towns are usually avoided by tourist guides and operators.
Dr. Bosi, who is the former Assemblyman for Kapayan, said that he had frequently raised the issues of smelly drains, blocked sewage, overflowing septic tanks, and potholes around Donggongon.
I have recently commented about the exorbitant parking fees and am grateful that the President of Penampang Municipal Council has promised to revise it. It cannot be denied that business, especially during the 3-day tamu, is not as robust as before.
Dr Bosi said he is still not happy that nothing has been done about the Donggongon tamu. I raised the issue of how unsafe the structure was after receiving complaints from the stall operators.
However, we were then told of a plan to relocate the tamu. Many moons have passed, and there is still no sign of moving or relocation.
In fact, about 18 January 2018, the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak came to see this iconic place and approved a RM8.5 million for the upgrading of the tamu.
According to Dr. Bosi, during that visit to the Donggongon tamu, the Prime Minister had also announced a sum of RM280 million for flood mitigation in Penampang.
Since there is no physical change with the tamu, Dr. Bosi feels that Penampangnites deserve to know what happened to the RM8.5 million approved by Najib for the upgrading of the Donggongon tamu. Penampangnites also deserve to be informed that the RM280 million flood mitigation has been spent accordingly.
