KOTA KINABALU: Frequent road collapses have caused heavy losses to tour operators and cut access for locals in Sabah’s Kiulu rural tourism hotspot an hour from here.
School children were forced to walk through road collapses following the latest landslide along the hilly Kiulu road at the foothills of Mt Kinabalu.
Kiulu assemblyman Datuk Joniston Bangkuai raised the concern to highlight the inconveniences and economic impacts of frequent road collapses caused by landslides along the Kiulu road.
The state Assistant Tourism, Culture, and Environment Minister said quick repairs were crucial as tour operators have already reported RM200,000 losses to tour cancellations.
"Tour operators in Kiulu are experiencing a significant downturn, as travel agents have categorised the area as high-risk following the landslides.
"Cancellations have impacted a range of outdoor activities, and if repairs are not completed promptly, the financial consequences could worsen," he warned during a visit to the affected areas.
He has urged the Public Works Department (JKR) and their contractors to regularly monitor the roads in Kiulu to immediately respond to signs of potential landslides or earth movements.
He said two key roads, Jalan Tamparuli-Kiulu near Kampung Malangang and Jalan Kiulu-Lawa Mandau near Kiulu, bore the brunt of the landslides, severely disrupting the community.
Bangkuai said repairs would take two weeks during a site visit with the department to assess the situation at Jalan Tamparuli-Kiulu.
He added that he contacted Deputy Chief Minister III and state Works Minister Datuk Shahelmy Yahya to assist in expediting repairs.
Kiulu Tourism Association president Mejin Maginggow, who was with Bangkuai at the site, said that the longer the repairs take, the more significant the losses for the tourism industry, which relies heavily on nature-based activities.
