Kota Kinabalu: Bugaya Assemblyman Jamil Hamzah said Semporna, a district known worldwide for its seas, still lacks a port system to match its maritime economy.
“This is the paradox of Semporna’s development. A district known to the world for its seas is still waiting for a port system that matches its maritime economy,” he said when debating the Sabah Ports Authority (Amendment) Enactment 2026 Bill, Wednesday.
He said Port Circular Number 01/2023, issued by the Sabah Ports Authority, listed Semporna among ports gazetted directly under Section 3 of the enactment and considered legally valid, yet the authority’s current port map did not show Semporna among the ports listed.
“I am not saying the two records necessarily conflict. One may state the legal status while the other shows operational ports. But there is a serious official information gap,” he said.
He referred to a Dewan Rakyat Hansard record from Dec 2, 1987, in which the late Datuk Sakaran Dandai, then Semporna Member of Parliament, raised the condition of a damaged Semporna port that could not be fully used.
“The government’s reply at the time stated Semporna port fell under the administrative jurisdiction of the Sabah State Government,” Jamil said.
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Jamil asked the government to table the gazette number and date, the boundary plan, the port’s legal and operational status, the responsible agency or operator, and the position of the old port’s land, jetty, buildings and assets.
He said if the status still stood, the government should state its function, policy and plans for it, and if the status had changed, the instrument for that change should be shown.
He called for an independent feasibility study to determine whether Semporna needed separate cargo, fisheries, passenger and tourism terminals or a single integrated maritime hub, assessing viability, safety, environmental impact, connectivity and job benefits for local residents.
“A port is not just a place where ships dock. It is a place where trust is tested, whether Sabah’s wealth only passes before the eyes of the people or eventually settles into their lives,” he said.
“Do not let a port recognised as valid in official records remain unclear in State development planning,” he said.
Additionally, he said he supported the Bill in principle. The Bill changes the definition of Minister responsible for ports and, through Subsection 1(2), is deemed to have taken effect from Dec 3, 2025, under Sabah Government Gazette Notification Number 2/2026.
He asked the State Industry, Entrepreneurship and Transport Minister to clarify how the amendment’s retrospective effect would apply to past decisions and actions tied to Semporna’s port status.
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