Kuala Lumpur: There can be no compromise on the conditions underpinning Mount Kinabalu’s Unesco World Heritage status, Sabah’s deputy chief minister has said, as a proposed cable car project remains under study.
Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun said any development around the mountain must prioritise environmental preservation and its heritage value, warning against viewing the proposal purely through a commercial lens.
“The cable car is a consideration from a business standpoint. However, we must not forget that Mount Kinabalu is a World Heritage Site.
“That status comes with specific conditions that must be adhered to, and in my view, there can be no compromise on those conditions,” he said.
Masidi, who is also the Karanaan assemblyman, was responding to remarks by Sabah Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Jafri Ariffin, who has called for any development in the area to be assessed carefully and comprehensively, with sustainability and conservation as priorities.
Studies on the proposal are ongoing to determine its feasibility and potential impact, Masidi said, stressing that the government’s priority is to safeguard the mountain’s heritage value.
“At present, studies are being conducted to determine whether the project is viable. It is not merely about money or revenue.
“What matters more is ensuring that the World Heritage Site we have in Sabah is not affected by any new development around the mountain,” he said, as reported by the national daily.
Backing Jafri’s position, Masidi added: “He is right. That is the approach we should take. The world is not only about money; there are things more important than profit.
“Mount Kinabalu is highly significant to Sabah and is regarded as a symbol of the state, so it must continue to be preserved.”
Sinar Harian previously reported on the possible construction of a cable car at the 4,095m peak, one of South-east Asia’s highest mountains.
