KOTA KINABALU, Friday, 21 November 2025:
Political interference in the management and use of the Sabah Trade Centre (STC) at Likas has caused severe damage to the centre that now requires at least RM8 million to repair.
Hardly two months after the Minister, Datuk Phoong Jin Zhe, took office in early 2023, his Ministry and team closed down the Trade Centre that was still in good working condition. The Ministry then failed entirely to look after the property. As a result, the property has since been vandalised. It is heartbreaking to see the damages that are still visible and left abandoned. This ugly political interference is negligence of the highest order.
So, it is a laughable contradiction that the caretaker Minister, who now tries to migrate from Luyang to the Likas constituency, claims that he is coming to Likas to work and implement his “Likas Bahagia” agenda of well-being.
His only work as Minister was to inflict damage to a key government asset at Likas.
Opened on 17 February 1997 when I was the Likas Assemblyman and Chief Minister, the Trade Centre was designed to be a low maintenance building. It was the first dedicated trade centre in Sabah, built on the vision of promoting local enterprise.
Caretaker Minister Must Apologise to Likas People
I call on the caretaker Minister to reveal the real reasons for arbitrarily closing down the trade centre and to apologise to the people of Likas for denying them the use of that key asset at Likas.
There is nothing “Bahagia” to see the proud icon of Likas rot like this.
His past work that affected Likas was to destroy the Wisma Kosan, and we cannot let him take down STC, too.
Datuk Yong Teck Lee
Ex-Chief Minister (May 1996-May 1998)
Former Assemblyman for Likas