KOTA KINABALU: Sabah Tourism, Culture and Environment ministry (KePKAS) has decided to establish an Integrated Task Force to comprehensively address tourism-related issues in Semporna that have directly affected the image, safety and sustainability of the state’s tourism industry.
Its minister, Datuk Jafry Ariffin, said the task force will be overseen by KePKAS Assistant Minister Dr Andi Rizal, with progress reports to be submitted to him every two weeks to ensure that all actions taken are focused, phased and accountable.
“The main objective of this Task Force is to resolve the tourism issues in Semporna thoroughly, not merely through reactive measures, but via a systemic approach that aligns roles, jurisdictions and enforcement among the relevant agencies,” he said in a media statement today.
Jafry said the formation of the task force is crucial as several key challenges have been identified, including overlapping and unclear jurisdictions between the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture (MOTAC), local authorities and the District Office, as well as issues involving unlicensed or illegal structures, safety, cleanliness and the management of tourism infrastructure.
The approach adopted, he said, is guided by the principle of “sit down together, we can work together”, involving multiple key agencies such as MOTAC, enforcement agencies, the Malaysian Marine Department (Sabah Region), Sabah Ports and Harbours Department, the Ministry of Local Government and Housing, ESSCOM, Tourism Malaysia Sabah, the Semporna District Office, Sabah Parks, and other relevant stakeholders.
“Our intention is clear — WE WANT TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM,” he stressed.
According to Jafry, the task force is aimed at building a more structured, safe and integrity-driven tourism governance system, while ensuring that MOTAC, at the very least, has a strong foundation to defend and carry out its regulatory role in the tourism industry.
He warned that failure to address these issues would have a significant impact on Sabah’s tourism sector as a whole, and therefore called on all parties to give their full commitment to resolving the problems in the interest of the industry and the people.
As an immediate step, he said ad hoc actions by the task force begin today, including engagement sessions with tourism industry players in Semporna. He added that he would personally conduct site visits to ensure the issues are properly organised and addressed in a practical manner.
“As the minister responsible, matters that have been left unresolved in the past will now be pursued through a more integrated, firm and solution-oriented approach, to ensure that Semporna’s tourism industry returns to a stable and sustainable footing,” he said.
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