NANJING WANHUI NEW MATERIAL TECHNOLOGY CO.LTD

However, Sunsea Development Sdn Bhd Director, Johnson Koh is still hopeful they can meet the deadline in 2012.

"I think we are about six months off the target (but) the construction is close to 20 per cent completion É hopefully we can still achieve the target by the later part of 2012.

"And hopefully after the Ramadan month, everything would be back to normal because the (specially ordered) sheet pile just arrived last week and (we can) start installing them to conform with all the necessary Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) regulations," he said, at his office in Centre Point Sabah shopping centre here, Tuesday.

The strict EIA requirements have forced them to re-think their methods to lay the foundation for the multi-million project, from the material they use up to the equipment they needed to utilise, he added.

"We need special technical equipment and also special sheet pile material É we have to put two layers of sheet pile to continue work on the basement (level)," Koh said, adding Bina Puri Construction Sdn Bhd was appointed to do the piling work.

"We also need a special consultant to advise us on what kind of sheet piles, how to do it, what's the distance, measurement and all that.

"This foundation work is the most difficult, technical and demanding part of all the construction (work) É that's why it's taken such a long time," he said, pointing out the weather has also not been too accommodating.

Towards this end, he expected the first phase of the waterfront boardwalk - the official tagline of the project - to be completed in a month's time.

"It will start from the roundabout near Wawasan Plaza to the end of Anjung Senja. The second phase would be from Anjung Senja to just before Jesselton Point É when completed, the boardwalk will be about 2.1km," Koh said.

A brainchild of the State government and a joint venture between City Hall and Sunsea Development, a subsidiary of the Waterfront Urban Development Sdn Bhd, the KKWC - not to be confused with KK Waterfront - is expected to be one of the hottest properties in Sabah's bustling capital once completed.

It boasts a 350-room five-star hotel and 103 luxurious condominiums, of which many have been taken up by buyers from Singapore, Hong Kong, China, Brunei, among others, Koh said, adding a handful are still available as they are reserved for bumiputera buyers.

Apart from being one of the most perfect locations to view the sunset, the anticipated sprawling economic activities generated by businesses in the KKWC would create at least 2, 000 job opportunities for locals, he said.

They are also aiming to make the KKWC to be accredited as a Green Building Index facility, he said, pointing out features like the boardwalk being constructed with techwood planks, rainwater harvesting system, thermal insulated and other building material that are ozone-friendly, among others, would help their pursuit.

Sunsea Development Senior Manager (Mall Operations), Javed Sani explained that the KKWC shopping mall will offer visitors an experience they will not get anywhere else here.

First of all they will make it easier for people to access the mall.

"We're trying to let people access the centre from wherever they are, and also easily access the upper floors right to the carpark.

"So we're putting quite a number of escalatorsÉin a very short period you access the other floors, not like other malls in KK.

"We're also concentrating heavily on Food and Beverage outlets and entertainment outlets, about 40 per cent of the mall will consist of these," he said, adding they will also consult an interior designing team from Kuala Lumpur on different themes for each of the mall's four floors.

Koh said Mayor Datuk Iliyas Ibrahim has been briefed about the delay and that he understood the problem, adding he was also satisfied with the progress of the project thus far.