By Olivia Miwil - December 1, 2020 @ 6:07pm
KOTA KINABALU: Scuba diving activities in Sabah have been put on hold pending approval by the National Security Council (MKN).
Sabah Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Jafry Ariffin said the ministry has drafted the standard operating procedures (SOP) for scuba diving.
"The ministry has drafted several SOPs for the activities to be held during the current Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO).
"It is now pending approval from the MKN and is expected to be announced soon," he said in a statement.
Sabah has been placed under the CMCO until Dec 6.
Yesterday, Sabah Covid-19 spokesperson Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun said the council had agreed with the state's decision to lift tourism restrictions on scuba diving.
He said divers, however, should only engage in the activity within a district that is not under the Enhanced Movement Control Order (EMCO).
The decision, he said, was made after taking into consideration that such recreational activities do not require physical contact, and that boats transporting divers to dive sites cannot exceed 30 per cent of their capacity.
Jafry, meanwhile, noted that the decision to allow diving activities to resume heralds good news for dive operators.
"I am confident that the government's initiatives will help bring back the tourism industry's momentum, which has been affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.
"Everyone has to continue to abide by the SOPs so that domestic tourism can be allowed."
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