FORMER Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal has criticised proposals to privatise the Bornean Elephant Sanctuary, emphasising the importance of transparent and sustainable wildlife conservation efforts.
Speaking to reporters during a walkabout in Lido, Luyang, Shafie said conservation efforts must prioritise public interest and long-term planning.
“When we were in government, we allocated 30,000 hectares in Telupid as a sanctuary to protect wildlife like elephants and orangutans,” Shafie said. “Why privatise it now? It should remain under public management.”
Shafie recounted past contributions to Sabah’s conservation efforts, including a land donation by a Japanese conservationist named Seraya.
“He came to my office and said, ‘Please preserve this land for wild animals.’ That’s the kind of commitment we need—land meant for conservation must be protected, not handed over for privatisation,” he said.
Shafie was referring to the owner of the Japanese environmental firm Saraya Corporation which has committed RM1 million to fund a 33.35-acre food corridor project in the Lower Kinabatangan region over the next five years to address human-elephant conflicts.
Criticising the lack of planning in addressing wildlife protection, Shafie called for a more structured approach.
“There must be proper planning. It cannot be ad hoc… just because we want to address the issues of the resort there. What is it for? Do you think the elephants are only in Kinabatangan? They’re also in Kalabakan,” he said.
Shafie also highlighted his earlier decision to ban raw log exports, emphasising the need to protect natural habitats.
“If elephants could vote, they would vote for us because we protected their habitat by stopping log exports,” he said.
He called for transparency in how conservation efforts are managed and suggested adopting models like Africa’s Serengeti to balance tourism and wildlife protection.
“Why can’t we house elephants like they do in Africa? Serengeti has thousands of acres meant for tourism and preservation—it can be done here too,” he said.
The Warisan leader added that preserving Sabah’s natural resources is critical to maintaining the state’s identity and ecological balance.
“Wildlife is part of Sabah’s heritage. Privatisation threatens that heritage,” he said.
Shafie’s comment came following the signing of an MoU between the Kinabatangan-Corridor of Life Tourism Operators Association and Kg Bilit’s Village Development and Security Committee.
Under the MoU, tourism operators will impose an RM5 conservation levy per tourist, with 10% of the proceeds being given to the villagers’ development fund. - January 25, 2025.
