Mount Kinabalu porters should be paid standardized fee – Jafry

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Jafry (third from left) and those who attended the dialogue.

KOTA KINABALU (July 4): Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Jafry Ariffin wants the Mount Kinabalu porters hired to carry goods and miscellaneous up the mountain to be paid a standardized fee.

Currently Sabah Parks’ fee for porters to carry goods for its accommodations is RM5.50 per kilogram while those hired to carry goods and produce for the accommodations and restaurant managed by Mountain Torq and Sutera Sanctuary Lodge is RM5 per kilogram.

Jafry proposed that Sutera Sanctuary Lodge and Mountain Torq consider paying the porters servicing them a standardized fee that is the same with Sabah Parks, RM5.50 per kilogram.

He said this after a dialogue session with Sabah Parks, Sutera Sanctuary Lodge, Mountain Torq, Persatuan Malim Gunung and the Persatuan Poter Gunung Kinabalu on Sunday.

Jafry pointed out that a Mount Kinabalu porter’s monthly earning depends on how many trips he or she can make up and down the mountain.

It also depends on if the porter is hired to serve climbers or to carry goods and miscellaneous  up to the restaurant and accommodations used by climbers.

Porters providing service for climbers up Mount Kinabalu are paid RM13 for a minimum of 10 kilograms.
According to the data report from Sabah Parks, a porter serving mountain climbers scales the mountain about 12 times a month and thus earns an average of RM3,540.

In the case of a porter that services the restaurant and accommodations, if they make the trip up and down the mountain 15 times a month carrying the maximum load of 35 kilograms at RM5.50 a kilogram, they can earn about RM2,625 a month.

“I therefore urge Sutera Sanctuary Lodge and Mountain Torq  to also pay the porters they hire RM5.50 per kilogram of goods and miscellaneous to be carried up the mountain,” said Jafry.

Jafry also said that the fees of mountain guides and porters must be looked into from time to time so that they can improve their work-life balance and have a better standard of living.

“Clearly, their wages should commensurate with the services provided especially to the climbers of Mount Kinabalu and I want all mountain guides and porters to provide the best service in line with the image of Mount Kinabalu which will be recognized as a UNESCO Global Geopark site,” he said.

Meanwhile, Jafry said that a one-off financial assistance of RM10,000 to the Persatuan Malim Gunung and Persatuan Poter Gunung Kinabalu has also been approved.

He expressed hope that it would help the associations affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, as well as cover the management costs of the associations which had restarted their activities after the country’s borders opened in April.

In the meantime, the ministry also recommends that mountain guides and porters wear uniforms to further enhance their image in the eyes of tourists and for a start, the ministry together with Sabah Parks jointly find funds to cover the cost of the uniform.