KOTA KINABALU: The Sabah government has yet to approve any oil and gas exploration in the Tun Mustapha Marine Park area, says Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Christina Liew.
She said both her ministry and the state Environment Protection Department (EPD) have confirmed that the Environment Department has not received any Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) submission for exploration of the SB-403 Production Sharing Contract site, which is within the marine park.
"Any activities within the protected area that have been gazetted under the Sabah government must obtain approval before any activities can commence," she said on Tuesday (Oct 1).
Liew noted that Tun Mustapha Marine Park was gazetted as a Marine Park under the Parks Enactment 1984 in 2016.
"To date, the state has not received any applications or granted any approvals related to oil and gas exploration activities within the Tun Mustapha Marine Park area," she said.
"The state ministry, through the Board of Trustees of Sabah Parks, is responsible for ensuring that the marine ecosystem within the protected area is fully preserved in accordance with the Parks Enactment 1984 and other related state laws," Liew added.
The issue of oil and gas exploration at the park was raised by environmental watchdog Rimba Watch, which urged the state government not to allow exploration in the area, covering some 900,000ha and involving the three Sabah districts of Kudat, Kota Marudu and Pitas.
The environmental group said block SB-403 overlaps with the Tun Mustapha Park boundaries, posing risks to biodiversity and the livelihoods of local communities.
Last week, state-owned SMJ Energy Sdn Bhd clarified that it has no equity stake in the oil and gas exploration of the SB-403 Production Sharing Contract (PSC).
In a statement, the company said that it is not a party to the PSC but instead has a "back-in right" for the future in the event of exploration success.
The 'back-in right,' the company explained, allows it to decide whether to join as a partner in the future, taking into account commercial, technical, environmental, and other factors.
"SMJ Energy acts as a prudent financial investor and works with reputable oil and gas companies with proven ESG (Environmental, Social & Governance) track records," the statement added.
