KOTA KINABALU: The state government needs to have the courage to make difficult but right decisions to ensure future generations can continue to enjoy all the beautiful islands in Sabah.
State Tourism, Culture and Environment Datuk Masidi Manjun said this when referring to the large number of complaints by local and foreign tourists on overcrowded and dirty islands in the state, especially on Sapi Island.
Asked if to limit visitors to the islands was the best way to protect the beauty of the island parks in the state, Masidi said Sabah Parks needed to decide how to manage them better.
“We will have to decide how to manage them better after my meeting with the management of Sabah Parks. The Park under its enactment is empowered to make its own rule on the type of activities that are allowable on areas (including the islands) under its jurisdiction.
“That is why Sabah Parks limit the number of divers per day at Sipadan at 120 and climbers (of Mount Kinabalu) at 192. These are their carrying capacity. Numbers are good business for business operators but if we are not careful, we may end up killing the goose that lay the golden eggs,” he said.
“In any case, a gazetted park (in the case of Sapi Island, which is part of Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park) is supposed to be clean and pristine. The principal purpose of gazetting it is to protect its natural environment, and any human activity on the island should only be to facilitate visitors to enjoy its beauty and pristine nature.
“For instance, the number of food providers that are allowed to operate on the island should not turn the island into another hawkers’ enclave you find on the mainland.
“The future generations can continue to enjoy all the beautiful islands in Sabah only if we have the courage to make difficult but right decision today,” added Masidi.
Meanwhile, the ministry also committed to further increase the number of air accessibility into Sabah to target 3.55 million arrivals by 2015.
He said the target of tourism receipts by end 2015 is RM8 billion, not RM80 billion as reported in The Borneo Post, yesterday.