KOTA KINABALU: The Dayak International Organisation (DIO), an indigenous peoples group, is concerned that the proposed High Altitude Training Centre (HATC) tourism project at the Sayat-Sayat area of Mount Kinabalu could violate native sacred beliefs.
United Nations permanent representative for the Dayaks of Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei, Andrew Ambrose, said the project raises concerns over indigenous rights, environmental risks and the sanctity of the site.
In a statement on Tuesday (Nov 3), Ambrose, known locally as Atama Katama, said on behalf of DIO that ongoing drilling and structural works at the summit zone, traditionally known as Aki Nabalu, are an intrusion into a sacred indigenous landscape.
DIO claimed the project went ahead without adequate grassroots consent from affected indigenous communities, and urged authorities to halt all construction activities pending further review.
It also called for an independent environmental audit, including an assessment of potential impacts on water catchments and waste management systems and urged the Sabah government to recognise indigenous customary laws and governance in decisions involving sacred sites.
Ambrose said DIO was considering raising the issue at international forums, including the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues and the Unesco Global Geoparks Network.
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Earlier this week, state Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Jafry Ariffin defended the project, saying the HATC is an approved initiative originally proposed under the Kinabalu Park Development Plan in 2015 before being postponed following the earthquake that year.
It was later revived and officially launched last year as part of efforts to strengthen Sabah's position as an international mountaineering destination.
Jafry said the project had received approval from the Sabah Parks Board of Trustees and support from the Mount Kinabalu Native Customary Advisory Council.
He said Mount Kinabalu's cultural and spiritual significance to indigenous communities had been taken into consideration in the planning process.
On environmental concerns, Jafry said the development uses lightweight, prefabricated and modular building materials designed to minimise disturbance to the environment and avoid the use of heavy machinery.
Jafry also said the ministry would monitor the project and ensure all construction activities comply with specifications, environmental requirements and relevant laws.
He added that authorities would not hesitate to take action if any breaches of conditions or regulations are found.
Ambrose called for development at the site to be halted until concerns surrounding indigenous consent, environmental protection and the cultural significance of Aki Nabalu were fully addressed.
The ongoing structural drilling and physical alteration of the peak violated indigenous customary laws protected under the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), he said.
The state's efforts to advance this project using an administrative advisory council to bypass grassroots consent undermined the legal traditions of the Momogun and Kadazandusun peoples, he added.
"Aki Nabalu is not a real estate asset or a commercial playground for state monetisation. It is a living, sacred entity and ancestral repository holding sovereign customary boundaries.
"The current state policy, which aggressively protects physical tourism infrastructure while failing to penalise cultural and spiritual defilement, constitutes a dual system that harms indigenous heritage," he added.
