Dangerous situation: Islanders, including children, disembarking from small boats onto a narrow, slippery wooden platform beside Sandakan’s public market.
Islanders forced to use risky makeshift jetty in Sandakan
SANDAKAN: Every day, hundreds of islanders make the short but risky journey between the mainland and nearby islands such as Pulau Berhala, Pulau Tanjung Aru and Pulau Tampias – not through a proper jetty, but a small, slippery concrete platform beside the town’s public market.
Sandakan, located on Sabah’s northeast coast facing the Sulu Sea, is a lifeline for surrounding fishing villages and island settlements. Despite its role as a transport hub, residents say the town still lacks a safe jetty for small passenger boats.
The platform, never meant for commuters, now serves as an improvised landing point for fishermen, teachers and students.
With no waiting area, narrow steps and a surface that turns dangerously slick after rain, many describe it as an accident waiting to happen.
Ahmad Ali, 55, a fisherman from Pulau Tanjung Aru, said the structure is too small and unsafe, especially during peak hours when passengers crowd the area.
“The main problem is that the jetty is too small. When it’s crowded, people have to climb over boats or rocks, which are slippery and dangerous. Sometimes even the steps get slippery if no one cleans them,” he said.
“We hope for a proper jetty built specially for passenger boats, with safe stairs instead of rocks.”
For many like Ahmad, the lack of a proper jetty is more than an inconvenience – it’s a daily hazard.
Teacher Tanty Suriana Awang, who has served at SK Tanjungan on Pulau Tanjung Aru for over a decade, recalled how she was hospitalised after slipping while disembarking on a rainy morning during her first posting in 2014.
“I slipped and rolled all the way down. It was my first time there, and I didn’t know how unsafe it was,” she said.
“My hope is that the authorities can improve the jetty so teachers and students can travel to school safely.”
Students also endure the same risks.
Elmilla Toran, a pupil from the island, said strong winds and lack of shelter make waiting for boats dangerous.
“Sometimes there’s no boat, and we have to wait here for a long time. When the wind gets strong, it gets slippery,” she said.
Residents say the absence of railings, lighting, shelter and proper stairs has turned even routine boat trips into a gamble – particularly for children and the elderly.
They are urging the authorities to build a wider, permanent jetty equipped with non-slip stairs, lighting and a sheltered waiting area near the market to ensure passenger safety and improve daily connectivity between Sandakan and its surrounding islands.
