KUCHING: Opposition insinuations that Sarawak has not done anything about protecting and preserving its natural wonders have earned the ire of the state government.
At a press conference here Wednesday, Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Minister Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah hit back at the Democratic Action Party (DAP).
He set the record straight, stating that about 60 of Sarawak’s natural heritage have been preserved so far.
“My question to Michael Kong is, has he ever talked about preserving our natural heritage,?” he asked.
Abdul Karim said, in the first place, the preservation of Sarawak’s natural heritage should not be politicised.
He was reacting to DAP member Kong’s remarks on the need to
safeguard Sarawak’s invaluable tourist attractions, in reference to the recent collapse of the iconic sea stack at Bako National Park.
“These natural wonders are integral to our tourism landscape and the government ought to have taken decisive action to protect them,” said Kong.
He called on the government to follow steps that were taken to preserve the ‘12 Apostles’ in Victoria, Australia by the Victorian and Australian authorities.
“We must adopt proactive measures to ensure the sustained preservation and development of our natural assets.
“While weather conditions may have contributed to the demise of these rock formations, preventative measures could have mitigated the impact,” Kong added.
Abdul Karim however pointed out that efforts have always been made to preserve the state’s natural heritage.
“We even gazetted it,” he said, adding, “as I emphasised recently, what happened to the sea stack at Bako is truly unfortunate.”
Similar to the collapse of Tusan Beach’s renowned ‘horse drinking water’ rock formation in 2020, I did not expect that the sea stack would collapse, he said.
“It was not only an iconic landmark for Sarawak but also one of the most crucial tourist attractions. I have received tons of messages from friends and family abroad saying they were saddened by the situation,” he added.
Abdul Karim also hinted at the possibility of constructing a replica of the sea stack.
“At the same time, it is important to acknowledge the impossibility of replicating it to match the original size.
“We might build it in a smaller size, but we will see how it goes from here onwards,” he added.
