We’re not promoting stateless islands – STB

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Suzaini Sabdin Ghani

KOTA KINABALU: The Sabah Tourism Board (STB) has stressed that it does not promote stateless islands.

Its general manager, Suzaini Sabdin Ghani, made the comment in light of the recent viral video which showed a group Bajau Laut villagers (who are sea gypsies) approaching a tourist boat and asking for handouts.

The video showed a tour operator accompanying a group of tourists to Kampung Tatagan, a sea settlement off Bohey Dulang Island, off Semporna. Six children and an old woman were seen approaching the tourist boat asking for and grabbing dry food such as Maggi and crackers from the tourists.

After the 50-second video went viral on July 9, STB had started engaging with the Semporna district officer, police and tour operators to address the issue.

It is understood that the STB had advised the tour operators to refrain from promoting the said settlement as a tourism hotspot, as opposed to recognised areas such as Mabul, Mataking and Bohey Dulang islands.

“Of course we would want to help them (the sea gypsies) but at the same time we do not want them to affect our tourism (industry),” Suzaini said when met at the Intermediate Digital Tourism Workshop opening ceremony on Tuesday.

She explained that the Semporna district office had given strict instructions to the tour guides to advise them not to promote the said settlement route.

Although the picture opportunity provided at the settlement route could definitely catch the eye of tourists, tour operators must still refrain from passing through the route.

Since Chief Minister Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal and Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Jaujan Sambakong are from Semporna, proper attention would be given to look into the said issue, Suzaini added. She assured the public that the issue is not a major problem.

The woman who took the viral video has since clarified that she had no intention of casting a bad light on the Bajau Laut community as she did not expect the video would be shared on social media.