Universiti Malaysia Sarawak's (Unimas) has decided to construct a 18-hole golf course on its Kota Samarahan campus located near the state capital of Kuching.

In a notice published in the English daily - Sarawak Tribune - on May 31, the university invited interested parties to submit proposals to develop the golf course and associated facilities on a 170-acre plot of land.

This, it added, was part of the overall development of Unimas' permanent campus in Kota Samaran - the former parliamentary constituency of Sarawak Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud

Unimas said the submitted business plans should include, among others, a development concept in terms of components and management framework, a course design and lay-out.

Briefing tomorrow

It added that there should also be a financial proposal, including membership structure and revenue sharing, and other specific and additional terms and arrangements leading to a mutually beneficial cooperation with Unimas.

Interested parties were told that a set of documents, including drawings, would be available upon payment of a non-refundable fee of RM100 in the form of bank draft or postal order from the university's finance division in Kota Samarahan.

Unimas said business plans must be submitted with a copy of the interested company's profile and the deadline was July 31.

It added that a briefing would be held for the interested parties tomorrow at Unimas site office in, Kota Samarahan.

"Attendance is compulsory for all intending proponents. Business plans submitted by proponents that do not attend this briefing will not be entertained," said the university.

Expensive holes

According to conservative estimates, the building of an 18-hole golf course and its associated facilities would cost about RM18 million (RM1 million per hole).

It is learnt that the golf course proposal was mooted a few years ago in a proposed joint venture with Sarawak Club.

However, it is understood that Sarawak Club which used to own a golf course in the heart of Kuching City, is no longer involved.

It is further learnt that the site for the proposed golf course is the remaining part of a plot of land allocated to Unimas for building its new RM750 million permanent campus.

The contract to build the campus has been awarded to a joint-venture company involving Taisei Corporation of Japan and Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange (KLSE)-listed Zecon Engineering Bhd. The project is being financed by the Japanese government.

However, it is learnt that construction has slowed down and one of the reasons cited for this, was disagreements surfacing between the joint venture partners on the equity structure.

Slow progress

When met, several Unimas lecturers, who were eager to move into the new campus, also noticed the slow progress.

The university, which was set up in the early 1990s, is currently operating on a temporary campus in Kota Samarahan.

Unimas announced recently that it expected the first batch of students to move into the new building by April next year when the first phase is completed.

It is understood that the construction of the permanent campus also involved a local package comprising a different local construction company whose tender is outside the scope of the joint venture's project.

"I know that work on the main permanent campus is way behind time," one former council member said. "But I also understand that work constituting part of the local package is proceeding well."