KOTA KINABALU: Construction of the High Altitude Training Centre (HATC) at Mount Kinabalu should be halted over concerns that the project could desecrate a sacred site, says the Dayak International Organisation (DIO).
United Nations permanent representative for Dayaks of Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei, Andrew Ambrose, said the development at the Sayat-Sayat area has raised concerns over indigenous rights, environmental risks and the sanctity of the area.
In a statement yesterday, he described the ongoing drilling and structural works near the summit, traditionally known as Aki Nabalu, as an intrusion into a sacred indigenous landscape.
He claimed the project had proceeded without adequate consent from affected indigenous communities at the grassroots level.
On behalf of DIO, he said the organisation had called for an independent environmental audit to assess the potential impact on water catchments and waste management systems.
It also urged the state government to recognise indigenous customary laws and governance when making decisions involving sacred sites, he added.
Ambrose, better known locally as Atama Katama, said DIO is considering raising the issue at international forums, including the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues and the Unesco Global Geoparks Network.
Earlier this week, Sabah Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Jafry Ariffin defended the project, saying it is an approved initiative first proposed under the Kinabalu Park Development Plan in 2015.
He said it was postponed following the 2015 earthquake before being 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.
On environmental concerns, he said the development would use lightweight, prefabricated and modular building materials to minimise disturbance to the surrounding environment and avoid the use of heavy machinery.
However, Ambrose maintained that work at the site should stop until concerns over indigenous consent, environmental protection and the cultural significance of Aki Nabalu (the original indigenous name for Mount Kinabalu) are fully addressed.
He claimed that the drilling and physical alteration of the mountain violates indigenous customary laws protected under the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
He also accused the state of using an administrative advisory council to bypass grassroots consent, saying this undermines the legal traditions of the Momogun and Kadazandusun peoples.
“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.
