Kunak: The State Government has been urged to rehabilitate the mangrove swamp at Kampung Hampilan, 4km from here, that was destroyed on orders of the district council in December, 2002.Making the call, Silam Parti Keadilan deputy divisional chief Djapri Kudosat said the area had been left barren, once a haven for Proboscis monkeys that are endemic to Borneo.
"Imagine some 100 Proboscis monkeys had to be evicted from their 300-acre sanctuary to accommodate locals evicted from the squatter colonies under Ops Nyah II Bersepadu," he said, adding that this was among the main reasons why the Proboscis monkey is on the decline.
"Uncontrolled developments have also resulted in the evictions of exotic wildlife from their natural habitats, such as the Sumatran rhinoceros, orangutans and pygmy elephants.
"These animals were callously shot and killed in their bid to secure new habitats," he said.
The destruction of the Kampung Hampilan mangrove swamp is a glaring example of the Government's aspiration to promote eco-tourism being ignored, he added.
Djapri also recalled that the Federal Government had called for the rehabilitation of mangrove swamps to cushion the impact of giant tsunami waves, following the devastation by last December's tsunami disaster on Sumatra, Indian, Sri Lanka and parts of Malaysia resulting from a massive earthquake.
"What if a massive earthquake rocks in the waters off the Southern Philippines?" he asked.
Moreover, the reclaimed mangrove swamp did not have the necessary facilities for basic amenities, such as water gravity source, he said.
He claimed that the swamp area was cleared by an assigned contractor at a cost of RM50,000-RM100,000 nearly three years ago, purportedly to serve as an alternative resettlement area for local squatters evicted from their colonies.
He also recalled that former Chief Minister Datuk Yong Teck Lee visited the area in June 1997, resulting in a suggestion that it could be turned into a Proboscis monkey sanctuary.
Unfortunately, the plan never materialized as the district officer then that the Sabah Forestry Department did not approve the proposal and, subsequently, resulted in the destruction of the mangrove swamp, Djapri said.
He described the condition of the area as a "mess", claiming that the Government apparently did not know what to do "as the authorities concerned have been passing the buck to one another" when pertinent questions were raised as to the future of the place.
"Sadly, we will soon lose one of the important natural landmark that could help the tourist influx into the district, just because of a badly planned action," he said.
He hoped that the Government would take more positive action to help generate revenue for the local tourism industry, rather than concentrating on short-term gains.
Tourist attractions need not necessary be focused on the Kinabalu Park or Sandakan, but other districts with a vast potential, he said.
