Who checks tourist safety at Mengalum? Sabah reps seek answers after snorkelling death

Following the death of a Chinese tourist during a snorkelling activity at Mengalum Island, authorities have been urged to clarify tourist safety measures, land status, and regulatory oversight.

Warisan vice-president Datuk Junz Wong emphasized the need for coordinated efforts among various agencies, including Kota Kinabalu City Hall (DBKK) and the Ministry of Tourism, to ensure safety compliance in tourism activities.

Wong called for a comprehensive inspection of operators and preventive enforcement, while Luyang assemblyman Samuel Wong highlighted the need for clarity on land status and licensing.

Both stressed the importance of a thorough review of existing safety regulations to prevent future incidents.

KOTA KINABALU, Sept 27 — Authorities have been urged to clarify tourist safety measures, land status and regulatory oversight at Mengalum Island following the death of a Chinese tourist during a snorkelling activity on Sept 23.

Warisan vice-president Datuk Junz Wong said the police investigation should be allowed to take its course, but the incident also raised broader questions over how tourism activities at the island were monitored and regulated.

He said tourist safety should not rest with a single agency, calling for clearer coordination among Kota Kinabalu City Hall (DBKK), the Sabah Lands and Surveys Department, Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Environment Sabah (KePKAS), Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture Malaysia (Motac) and other relevant agencies.

“The issue is not only whether the boat operator and vessel were properly licensed.

“We must also ask whether the tourism activities and facilities at the destination itself have the necessary approvals and whether the relevant safety procedures were properly implemented,” he said in a statement.

Junz also called on DBKK to clarify its procedures for operators using its public jetty, including whether licences and approvals were verified before tourists were transported to the island.

He said any gaps between the responsibilities of the various agencies must be identified and addressed, while calling for a comprehensive inspection of operators serving Mengalum Island.

“Preventive enforcement is needed rather than action only after an incident occurred,” he said.

Meanwhile, Luyang assemblyman Samuel Wong said the status of land and tourism facilities at Mengalum should be clarified separately from the police investigation.

“To be clear, we are not saying that the land status or TOL was the cause of the tourist’s death. There must be evidence before any such connection can be made,” he said.

However, he said authorities should establish whether the land, structures, jetties and tourism facilities used by operators had the necessary approvals.

Samuel urged the Sabah Lands and Surveys Department to clarify the status of any Temporary Occupation Licence (TOL) and land occupation, while KePKAS and Motac should clarify the licensing and safety requirements applicable to the operator.

He said authorities should also determine whether tourists were given proper safety briefings, adequate safety equipment was provided and sufficient trained personnel were present to monitor the snorkelling activity and respond to emergencies.

Junz and Samuel also called for previous safety incidents at Mengalum to be reviewed to identify any recurring weaknesses.

“The death of a tourist is deeply saddening. We respect the police investigation and will not prejudge the outcome.

“But the incident must also prompt a serious review of the existing tourism safety and enforcement system. Every agency must understand and carry out its responsibility, and any regulatory or safety gaps must be addressed before another tragedy occurs,” they said. — The Borneo Post

* Editor’s note: DBKK is the abbreviation for Dewan Bandaraya Kota Kinabalu, or Kota Kinabalu City Hall, while KePKAS is the abbreviation for the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Environment Sabah.

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一名中国游客在孟加拉岛浮潜时不幸身亡后，有关部门被敦促澄清游客安全措施、土地状况和监管规定。

民兴党副主席拿督黄俊杰强调，各机构之间需要协调努力，包括亚庇市政厅（DBKK）和旅游部，以确保旅游活动的安全合规性。

黄呼吁对经营者进行全面检查和预防性执法，而鲁阳州议员黄永康则强调需要明确土地状况和许可证制度。

双方都强调了对现有安全法规进行彻底审查的重要性，以防止未来发生事故。

哥打基纳巴卢，9月27日讯——9月23日一名中国游客在孟加伦岛浮潜时死亡后，有关部门被敦促澄清该岛的旅游安全措施、土地状况和监管情况。

民兴党副主席拿督黄俊杰表示，应该允许警方进行调查，但这一事件也引发了关于该岛旅游活动如何受到监控和监管的更广泛的问题。

他表示，游客安全不应仅由一个机构负责，呼吁亚庇市政厅 (DBKK)、沙巴土地与测量局、沙巴旅游、文化和环境部 (KePKAS)、马来西亚旅游、艺术和文化部 (Motac) 以及其他相关机构之间加强协调。

“问题不仅在于船只操作员和船只是否持有有效许可证。

他在一份声明中表示：“我们还必须询问旅游目的地本身的旅游活动和设施是否获得了必要的批准，以及相关的安全程序是否得到了妥善执行。”

Junz 还呼吁亚庇市政局澄清其对使用公共码头的运营商的程序，包括是否在将游客运送到岛上之前核实许可证和批准文件。

他表示，必须找出并解决各机构职责之间的任何差距，同时呼吁对服务于孟加拉岛的运营商进行全面检查。

他说：“我们需要的是预防性执法，而不是在事件发生后才采取行动。”

与此同时，鲁阳州议员黄伟杰表示，孟加伦的土地和旅游设施状况应该与警方的调查分开进行澄清。

“需要澄清的是，我们并非认为土地状况或旅游许可证是导致游客死亡的原因。在得出任何此类结论之前，必须有证据，”他说道。

但他表示，有关部门应该查明经营者使用的土地、建筑物、码头和旅游设施是否获得了必要的批准。

Samuel敦促沙巴土地与测量局澄清任何临时占用许可证（TOL）和土地占用状态，同时KePKAS和Motac应澄清适用于经营者的许可和安全要求。

他还表示，有关部门还应确定是否向游客提供了适当的安全简报，是否提供了足够的安全设备，以及是否有足够的训练有素的人员在场监督浮潜活动并应对紧急情况。

Junz 和 Samuel 还呼吁对 Mengalum 之前发生的安全事故进行审查，以找出任何反复出现的薄弱环节。

“一名游客的死亡令人深感悲痛。我们尊重警方的调查，不会预先判断调查结果。”

“但此次事件也必须促使人们对现有的旅游安全和执法体系进行认真审查。每个机构都必须了解并履行其职责，任何监管或安全漏洞都必须在再次发生悲剧之前得到弥补，”他们表示。——《婆罗洲邮报》

* 编辑注：DBKK 是哥打基纳巴卢市政厅（Dewan Bandaraya Kota Kinabalu）的缩写，而 KePKAS 是沙巴旅游、文化和环境部的缩写。

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