TAWAU: Residents in the Ranggu area here have given the Bandar Sri Indah (BSI) developer 30 days to reopen the road reserve access connecting Prima Ranggu to BSI, Batu 10 Jalan Apas.
Representing the public, Vincent Ong, 37, said the residents have yet to receive any official statement or resolution regarding the issue, which has sparked widespread debate and a series of peaceful gatherings.
He said the shortcut, which is only about 25 to 30 steps in distance, is important to local residents and should be opened as it involves public access rights.
“I am giving the developer, Hap Seng Properties Development Sdn Bhd, one month to reopen this road reserve access.
“If no action is taken or no official statement is issued, I will use my money to reopen the route,” he told a press conference held in conjunction with the open gathering attended by about 1,000 residents.
Vincent claimed the earlier action to reopen the route was not an intrusion by a so-called “black gang” as alleged, because they had lodged a police report before carrying out the clearing works.
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The first police report was made on May 7, 2026, to inform authorities that they would begin work to reopen the route the following day (May 8, 2026).
In the report, they attached letters from the Land and Survey Department (JTU) and Tawau Municipal Council (MPT) as references stating that the area involved was a road reserve intended for public use.
A second police report was lodged after the route that had been reopened was closed again by the developer several hours later.
He also displayed a letter from JTU stating there was no objection to opening and developing the road reserve area and the letter also stated that once completed, the road should be opened for public use.
He also referred to a letter from Tawau Municipal Council (MPT) dated Oct 13, 2020, addressed to the developer, stating no objection to opening the road reserve connecting the Prima Ranggu project to BSI.
“However, six years have passed and there is still no resolution,” Vincent said. The shortcut was only accessible for about four hours on May 8 before it was closed again by the developer.
He said that if the developer refuses to reopen the route within 30 days, residents are prepared to take their own initiative by creating only a basic access road for ordinary vehicles as well as emergency services such as ambulances, fire engines and police vehicles.
He stressed that the route is important as it is estimated that more than 80,000 residents in the Ranggu area, including housing estates and villages, would benefit in terms of road access, daily affairs and economic activities.
Prima Ranggu resident Mariam Saad, 40, said many Ranggu residents depend on facilities in Batu 10, including clinics, the BSI tamu market for groceries and nearby petrol stations.
“If we use the existing road, we have to make a long detour that can take up to half an hour. If this shortcut is opened, it would only take five to 10 minutes to reach the main road.
“If a child has a fever in the middle of the night or an emergency happens, it becomes very difficult.
“There are several clinics in Batu 10 and that is where we usually go,” she said, adding that the existing alternative route (Jalan Barat-Daya) is quite dark and risky, especially for women.
Mariam said that reopening the shortcut should not be linked to an increase in crime as feared by some parties, saying crimes can happen anywhere.
Another resident, Reduanshah Apsal, 36, claimed that during Ramadan last year, a Prima Ranggu resident died after suffering a mild stroke because the ambulance took too long to arrive as it had to use a longer route.
“We are the ones who called the ambulance that night. In the rain, the ambulance had to take a long detour to enter Prima Ranggu. If this road had been open, perhaps the victim could have been saved,” he said.
Meanwhile, Shafie Hassan, 35, hoped the authorities, including local elected representatives, would intervene to help resolve the issue.
“We want a clear decision on whether this road can be opened. The people’s right to use the road reserve must be protected,” he said.
