Published on: Monday, January 31, 2005 |
Kota Kinabalu: The Semporna District Office will demolish all man-made structures on Sipadan by force if remaining stubborn operators refused to comply with the directive to this effect when the deadline expires Monday (Jan. 31).
Of five operators on the island, only two - Borneo Divers and Pulau Sipadan Resort - had so far fully complied with the Government directive by removing all properties on the island. The rest had been doing it at a very slow pace.
National Security Division (BKN) Sabah State Director, Che Moin Umar, said the tour operators are aware of the deadline and two options were given to them.
"Either they dismantle their properties to be relocated or they let the structures to be torn down by the authorities on Jan. 31. No more extension will be given to the operators to stay on the island and no compensation or incentives either.
"By Feb 1, 2005, the tour operators and their staff must vacate the island because we are not going to issue any more permits to them. Divers are only allowed to dive at the 12 points on the island from 6am to 6pm," he told Daily Express.
He emphasised that strict action await those who stay on the island without permits under the Protected Areas and Protected Places Act 1959, where the offender can be charged in court, accordingly.
"The BKN will only seal the designated area for the demolition purpose and police will be present to make sure the security situation will be under control.
Two BKN officers will be sent to the Island together with some personnel of General Operation Force and Sabah Parks officers to be responsible for implementation of policy matters on the island," he said. The initial deadline for the operators to move out was Dec 31, 2004.
However, the authorities gave another three weeks until Jan. 21 this year since the operators could not meet the deadline. The operators were then given another extension up to the end of this month.
An 'Evacuation and Demolition Committee of Sipadan Island' chaired by State Secretary Datuk K.Y Mustapha had set up several sub-committees to implement the Government stand.
