Kota Kinabalu: Parti Warisan Vice-President Junz Wong has called for immediate action to address the persistent problem of floating rubbish in Sabah’s key tourism areas, describing it as a serious governance and enforcement failure that is tarnishing the State’s image.
In a statement on Sunday, Wong said recent reports of pollution in the waters off Semporna highlighted a long-standing issue that is not confined to one location, pointing out that similar conditions can also be seen along parts of the Kota Kinabalu waterfront.
“This problem has been reported repeatedly, yet it remains unresolved. It reflects a deeper failure in governance and enforcement,” he said.
Wong said the issue has increasingly attracted negative international attention, with videos recorded by foreign tourists showing polluted waters in some of Sabah’s most visited destinations circulating online.
“It is deeply embarrassing. This is the image of Sabah that is being projected to the world,” he said.
He stressed that environmental cleanliness is essential to sustaining Sabah’s tourism industry and warned that failure to address the issue could undermine the State’s reputation as a premier travel destination.
“You cannot promote Sabah as a world-class destination while failing to manage basic waste and cleanliness. You cannot sell paradise when the waters are filled with trash,” he said.
Wong also questioned the continued lack of accountability despite repeated public complaints and media reports highlighting the problem.
“These problems have been highlighted time and again. Why are they still happening? Where is the accountability?” he asked.
He urged the relevant authorities to implement immediate clean-up operations, strengthen enforcement of waste disposal regulations, and tackle the root causes of marine pollution before the situation worsens. “This is not just an environmental issue – it is about Sabah’s reputation, our tourism industry and our future,” he said.
