KINABATANGAN – The Sabah government may introduce fees for tourists going on cruises along the world-renowned Sg Kinabatangan, in line with its plan to gazette parts of the river as a sanctuary.
Currently, the state is not earning a single sen from tourists who come to Kinabatangan to enjoy the sights of wildlife and nature along the river cruise.
Thus far only surrounding forested lands involving ten lots in the Sukau sub-district have been gazetted as the Lower Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary.
The river itself is not gazetted, making it improper to impose fees on visitors who are paying for river cruises.
The wildlife sanctuary involving 26,000ha was gazetted under the state’s Wildlife Conservation Enactment 1997 in 2005.
State Minister of Tourism, Culture and Environment Datuk Jafry Ariffin said he will bring up the proposal to the state cabinet to enable the management of the river to be placed under the state Wildlife Department.
He said this would allow the state government to earn from Sabah’s environmental and scenic offerings to tourists.
Currently, the part of the river that runs through the wildlife sanctuary is managed under the Drainage and Irrigation Department.
At present, local tourism and boat operators charge patrons of their cruise services from RM60 to RM80.
State Wildlife Department director Augustine Tugaa said the plan to impose fees will not create any conflict with the local operators. The same concept is applied at the Sepilok Rehabilitation Centre in Sandakan.
Meanwhile, Jafry said the ministry will propose to the cabinet the building of a tourism complex in Sukau. The cost, size and other specifications of the complex have yet to be determined.
“This is part of our effort to boost Sukau as a tourism destination, especially to tourists from European countries,” he said.
Jafry, who is also Sukau assemblyman, said this at a press conference yesterday after visiting the wildlife department’s office in Sukau and the Gomantong cave here.
He also handed over RM10,000 as assistance to two local homestays – Miso Walai Homestay Batu Putih and Seratu Balai Gabpi Homestay in Kg Bilit – and the Orang Sg Milian Kinabatangan Association.
He said the assistance was part of a RM1 million allocation from the state to help those in need under his ministry.
Meanwhile, Kinabatangan Corridor of Life Tourism Operator Association (KiTA) welcomed the idea for a tourism complex as the group had previously mooted such an idea as part of the Kinabatangan management plan.
Its president Alexander Yee said he hopes the minister will consider carefully the locality of the complex. – The Vibes, November 3, 2020
