Masidi rapped over 'dirty Semporna' remark
Joe FernandezPublished: Nov 29, 2010 4:23 AM | Updated: Nov 29, 2010 5:32 AM
Semporna Umno Youth wants state Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Masidi Manjun to retract his remarks on Friday night that the town is the dirtiest in Sabah. The wing’s Semporna chief Mohd Azis Jamman has blasted Masidi’s statement as biased, untrue and made without any transparent study of the area.
Semporna Umno Youth wants state Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Masidi Manjun to retract his remarks on Friday night that the town is the dirtiest in Sabah. The wing’s Semporna chief Mohd Azis Jamman has blasted Masidi’s statement as biased, untrue and made without any transparent study of the area.
“Semporna is making a huge contribution to the tourism sector as the gateway to Sipadan island. Masidi (left) should act responsibly on the cleanliness issue,” said Mohd Azis.
The youth chief, continuing, urged Masidi’s ministry to appoint an independent body to verify if indeed Semporna is the dirtiest in the state. He also wants Masidi to disclose how much of the tourism revenue is returned to the state for cleanliness programmes, beautification and building tourism infrastructure projects.
Meanwhile, the youth body has claimed that most of the rubbish in the area originated from the surrounding islands which do not have proper disposal systems. Also, it appears that not all tour operators on the islands bring back their refuse for proper disposal at the Semporna District Council.
Former Sulabayan state assemblyperson Mohd Lan Allani likewise did not mince his words, but going one up on Mohd Azis, he wants Masidi to quit the state cabinet. His reason is that the state minister is trying to destroy the tourism industry in the state rather than helping to promote it. Masidi should be working quietly on sensitive matters like cleanliness, he added, especially in Semporna which is a goldmine for tourism.
“He (Masidi) should not expect the three representatives from the area to go around cleaning the town out of their own pocket,” said Mohd Lan in pointing out that Sabah’s reported RM 2 billion surplus should be put to good use. “Masidi is just shooting off his mouth based on comments he received on Facebook.”
Semporna, according to Mohd Lan, was named as the second cleanest town in Sabah in 2008 by the state Local Government and Housing Ministry. He wants to know whether the town had degenerated into a reservoir of filth between 2008 and 2010 as implied by Masidi.
Sulabayan state assemblyperson Harman Mohd lamented that this was the second occasion Masidi had made offending remarks on Semporna, the first time being in answer to a query from him (Harman) during the state assembly sitting last week. Masidi stands accused of repeating his remarks a day later at a tourism function in Kota Kinabalu.
Harman stressed that besides 2008, Semporna was also named a year earlier as the second cleanest town in Sabah. The town, according to him, also won the Best Account Management Award in 2008 from the National Audit Department.
“He should visit Semporna for himself and not make statements in KK without stepping out of his office,” said Harman, who accused Masidi of being emotional on the matter. “He has been most unprofessional instead of helping to improve and uplift the tourism industry in the state. For example, the RM70,000 allocated this year by the state government for the Regatta Lepa Festival recently was a measly sum.”
Masidi unfazed by flak
Masidi remains unfazed by the criticisms being levelled at him. “If the people of Semporna are embarrassed by the fact that their town has been labeled by tourists as the dirtiest town, I am even more embarrassed,” said Masidi in pointing out that he was the Tourism Minister.
The leaders in Semporna should be even more embarrassed about not doing anything to clean up the town, he opined. He was referring in particular to Federal Rural and Regional Development Minister Shafie Apdal (left) and the state Minister in the Chief Minister’s Department Nasir Sakaran, who, as well as Harman, are all from the area. He expressed regret that they were embarrassed.
Masidi reiterated his challenge to all dive and island resort operators in Semporna to work with the district council and other local authorities to clean up the town.
“Let us swallow the bitter remarks and help improve the town,” said Masidi. “The feedback from the 40,000 local and foreign tourists who attended the Regatta Lepa Festival should be taken seriously.”
He noted that Sulabayan is made of 49 islands where only 17 were inhabited. This, he stressed, underlined the enormous tourism potential in the area.
State local housing and government minister Hajiji Mohd Noor confirmed that the rubbish drifting with the currents to Semporna and Lahad Datu originated from the nearby islands and water villages. The local authority in Semporna, assured Hajiji, was removing the rubbish from the seafront on a daily basis but it was a losing battle as more garbage was being churned out by the nearby islands and water villages on a daily basis.
“The situation is similar to what’s happening along Likas Bay in Kota Kinabalu,” said Hajiji. “People should refrain from throwing rubbish indiscriminately into the sea.”
There is not much to do in Semporna itself which has a population of some 135,000. Its importance lies in the fact that besides the internationally-renowned Sipadan oceanic dive spot, it is also the gateway for diving and snorkeling trips to other islands like Mabul, Kapalai, Mataking, Maiga and others.
“Semporna is making a huge contribution to the tourism sector as the gateway to Sipadan island. Masidi (left) should act responsibly on the cleanliness issue,” said Mohd Azis.The youth chief, continuing, urged Masidi’s ministry to appoint an independent body to verify if indeed Semporna is the dirtiest in the state. He also wants Masidi to disclose how much of the tourism revenue is returned to the state for cleanliness programmes, beautification and building tourism infrastructure projects.
Meanwhile, the youth body has claimed that most of the rubbish in the area originated from the surrounding islands which do not have proper disposal systems. Also, it appears that not all tour operators on the islands bring back their refuse for proper disposal at the Semporna District Council.
Former Sulabayan state assemblyperson Mohd Lan Allani likewise did not mince his words, but going one up on Mohd Azis, he wants Masidi to quit the state cabinet. His reason is that the state minister is trying to destroy the tourism industry in the state rather than helping to promote it. Masidi should be working quietly on sensitive matters like cleanliness, he added, especially in Semporna which is a goldmine for tourism.
“He (Masidi) should not expect the three representatives from the area to go around cleaning the town out of their own pocket,” said Mohd Lan in pointing out that Sabah’s reported RM 2 billion surplus should be put to good use. “Masidi is just shooting off his mouth based on comments he received on Facebook.”
Semporna, according to Mohd Lan, was named as the second cleanest town in Sabah in 2008 by the state Local Government and Housing Ministry. He wants to know whether the town had degenerated into a reservoir of filth between 2008 and 2010 as implied by Masidi.
Sulabayan state assemblyperson Harman Mohd lamented that this was the second occasion Masidi had made offending remarks on Semporna, the first time being in answer to a query from him (Harman) during the state assembly sitting last week. Masidi stands accused of repeating his remarks a day later at a tourism function in Kota Kinabalu.
Harman stressed that besides 2008, Semporna was also named a year earlier as the second cleanest town in Sabah. The town, according to him, also won the Best Account Management Award in 2008 from the National Audit Department.
“He should visit Semporna for himself and not make statements in KK without stepping out of his office,” said Harman, who accused Masidi of being emotional on the matter. “He has been most unprofessional instead of helping to improve and uplift the tourism industry in the state. For example, the RM70,000 allocated this year by the state government for the Regatta Lepa Festival recently was a measly sum.”
Masidi unfazed by flak
Masidi remains unfazed by the criticisms being levelled at him. “If the people of Semporna are embarrassed by the fact that their town has been labeled by tourists as the dirtiest town, I am even more embarrassed,” said Masidi in pointing out that he was the Tourism Minister.
The leaders in Semporna should be even more embarrassed about not doing anything to clean up the town, he opined. He was referring in particular to Federal Rural and Regional Development Minister Shafie Apdal (left) and the state Minister in the Chief Minister’s Department Nasir Sakaran, who, as well as Harman, are all from the area. He expressed regret that they were embarrassed.Masidi reiterated his challenge to all dive and island resort operators in Semporna to work with the district council and other local authorities to clean up the town.
“Let us swallow the bitter remarks and help improve the town,” said Masidi. “The feedback from the 40,000 local and foreign tourists who attended the Regatta Lepa Festival should be taken seriously.”
He noted that Sulabayan is made of 49 islands where only 17 were inhabited. This, he stressed, underlined the enormous tourism potential in the area.
State local housing and government minister Hajiji Mohd Noor confirmed that the rubbish drifting with the currents to Semporna and Lahad Datu originated from the nearby islands and water villages. The local authority in Semporna, assured Hajiji, was removing the rubbish from the seafront on a daily basis but it was a losing battle as more garbage was being churned out by the nearby islands and water villages on a daily basis.“The situation is similar to what’s happening along Likas Bay in Kota Kinabalu,” said Hajiji. “People should refrain from throwing rubbish indiscriminately into the sea.”
There is not much to do in Semporna itself which has a population of some 135,000. Its importance lies in the fact that besides the internationally-renowned Sipadan oceanic dive spot, it is also the gateway for diving and snorkeling trips to other islands like Mabul, Kapalai, Mataking, Maiga and others.
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