Sabah govt chooses both places as world heritage sites
KOTA KINABALU: The Sabah state cabinet is planning to nominate Maliau Basin and Danum Valley as world heritage sites, said Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Masidi Manjun.
FOR THE ALBUM: (Seated from fourth left) Musa, Paul, Masidi and Hamid with the speakers of the seminar.
Masidi said the state cabinet has agreed with his ministry to nominate Maliau Basin as a new world heritage site.
He added that discussion was still on to determine whether to nominate Maliau Basin and Danum Valley at the same time or separately.
“These places have their own individual uniqueness and are also popular worldwide as the centre for research,” he said to the press after officiating at the Gunung Tambuyukon Scientific seminar at Promenade Hotel here yesterday.
“We can make money out of many other things, but as for our heritage, flora and fauna, the commitment of the state government should not be questioned.
“We will make sure they are well protected.”
Earlier, Masidi also said 49 per cent of the land is reserved as protected areas, six per cent more to the targeted 55 per cent.
Meanwhile, Sabah Parks director Paul Basintal said the seminar was a follow up of a scientific expedition on Oct 2-16 last year.
“A total of 60 local and international researchers have done fieldwork on 37 topics.”
He also hoped the scientific information would be published in a special edition of ‘Sabah Parks Nature Journal’.
“I believe the publication will create an important management tool that can assist Sabah Parks in managing and conserving Mount Tambuyukan effectively.”
A Letter of Intent (LOI) between Sabah Parks, the Faculty of Science and Technology of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) and the Institute of Tropical Biology and Conservation of Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) was also signed yesterday.
The signing of the LOI would boost the research cooperation between the three parties.
Also present at the signing were the director of the Institute of Tropical
Biology and Conservation UMS Prof Madya Dr Abdul Hamid Ahmad, Dean of the Faculty of Science and Technology UKM Prof Musa Ahmad.