Groups: Scrapping bridge project will boost wildlife conservation

KOTA KINABALU: Conservation groups are hailing the Sabah government’s decision to scrap the controversial Sukau Bridge project as a “win-win” for both man and nature.

Save Kinabatangan, a coalition of civil societies against the RM223mil project, said that while it was a difficult decision for the Chief Minister, it would go a long way towards conserving the Lower Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary.

“We wish to wholeheartedly support the people of Sukau and the other Kinabatangan communities in working towards a regional vision.

“This way, the wildlife and people, and the oil palm and tourism sectors, can come together to build a mutually beneficial future,” it said in a statement after the announcement in London by Sabah Forest chief conservator Datuk Sam Mannan.

Environmentalists had strongly objected to the project, arguing that it would disrupt the migratory route of wildlife and negate conservation efforts.

Mannan disclosed the state government’s decision to scrap the second bridge over Sungai Kinabatangan during his speech at the South-East Asia Rainforest Research Partnership (SEARRP) dinner on Wednesday at the Royal Society.

The Chief Minister, he said, had taken into consideration all views over the bridge, including from Yayasan Sime Darby, Nestle, scientists and NGOs, and particularly, those of British naturalist Sir David Atten­bo­rough.

Britain’s The Guardian newspaper had published an article headlining Attenborough’s concerns over the bridge that would span 350m across the river, threatening one of the last sanctuaries of the rare Bornean pygmy elephant.

“If I may say so, that headline broke the camel’s back. It made us understand that the issue is now the number one environmental concern – not just in Sabah but globally, too, because of the extremely precarious situation of the rich wildlife,” Mannan told the audience.