Kota Kinabalu: The recent boat collision near Mengalum Island has highlighted broader maritime safety concerns affecting many coastal and island routes in Sabah, particularly involving small passenger and fishing boats operating at night or during poor weather conditions.
Winston Liaw Kit Siong, Chairman of Airworld Travel and Tour, expressed condolences to the family of the deceased boat driver, whose body was found on May 10 at the island’s beachfront.
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Liaw urged Kota Kinabalu City Hall (DBKK) and the Ministry of Transport Malaysia to strengthen maritime safety measures, including the installation of navigation lights and reflective markings on vessels.
He proposed mandatory installation of bright standardised port, starboard and stern lights on all boats, along with reflective paint or tape on the front, sides and rear sections of vessels.
He also suggested introducing solar-powered backup lighting systems.
Liaw, who is also the former chairman of the Sabah Association of Tour and Travel Agents (Satta), described such measures as among the cheapest yet most effective ways to improve safety at sea.
He further proposed the implementation of the Automatic Identification System (AIS) and Global Positioning System (GPS) tracking systems for all commercial vessels.
“These systems can display surrounding boats in real time, warn operators of possible collision risks and help rescue teams quickly trace locations after accidents occur,” he said.
Liaw added that the government should consider subsidising the installation of such equipment to encourage wider adoption among operators.
He also recommended that authorities clearly map inbound and outbound designated sea lanes, introduce speed control zones and separate routes for fishing and passenger vessels.
“This would reduce random crossings, which often result in collisions,” he said.
In addition, Liaw suggested suspending small boat operations during adverse weather conditions to reduce risks to passengers and crew.
He also proposed compulsory annual refresher courses for boat operators, covering collision avoidance, basic radar and GPS usage, passenger evacuation procedures, emergency rescue operations and night navigation.
Liaw said stronger enforcement through marine police patrols, random inspections and heavier penalties for safety violations would also help improve maritime safety standards in Sabah waters.
He further called for all investigations into maritime collisions and tragedies to be publicly reported in a transparent manner, including whether incidents were caused by human error or equipment failure, together with recommendations aimed at preventing similar incidents in future
“This would build accountability and help operators learn from past incidents,” he said
According to Liaw, the key concern is that while the government is actively promoting Visit Sabah 2027, safety systems for increasingly busy small boat routes have not modernised at the same pace.
“Combining technology, enforcement, training and community awareness will likely save many lives in the future,” he said.
