Rethink Sukau Bridge, govt told

KOTA KINABALU: The Sabah government should re-evaluate the controversial RM223mil Sukau Bridge that is on the migratory path of endangered Borneo pygmy elephants, said State Tourism, Culture and Environment Assistant Minister Datuk Pang Nyuk Ming.

He said the state cannot ignore the implications of the project which were raised by local and international conservationists.

Pang, who spoke in his personal capacity, said that the Kinabatangan area was internationally-renowned, and it was clear that the bridge would have a serious impact not only on elephant conservation but also on tourism in the future.

The proposed bridge would leave a severe blot on Sabah’s unique eco-tourism attractions, he added.

“I believe the bridge, which is on the migratory path between forests, will definitely bring elephants and humans further into conflict.

“The state can ill-afford the negative publicity,” he said after meeting Kinabatangan-based Danau Girang Field Centre (DGFC) director Dr Benoit Goossens.

Dr Goossens had briefed him on the critical situation facing the elephants and other wildlife, including orang utan, in the Kinabatangan conservation area.

“The scientific evidence is clear, the bridge will follow a route through the Sukau area which has the largest concentration of elephant movements.

“It will be very irresponsible of the authorities to knowingly brush off these facts,” he said.

Pang appealed for a re-evaluation of the project. The project’s environmental impact assessment (EIA) has yet to be approved.

The Kinabatangan Conservation Area is described as “Sabah’s Gift to the Earth” and has been dubbed the “Corridor of Life”.

Pang said Sabah was a gem in South-East Asia tourism because it has mountains, forests and the sea, and that many other places cannot rival it as an eco-tourism destination.