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Ministry ‘not consulted on research’

KOTA KINABALU: Three world-renowned shipwreck dive sites have been destroyed, and the state government wants answers.

State Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun said a meeting would be held next week to find out how three of four sunken World War 2 Japanese vessels ended up “missing” despite the state government having issued a stop-work order on Jan 25.

“I am at a loss for words,” he said of the issue, which started with a purported research carried out by Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) in Usukan Bay, Kota Belud.

Divers discovered three of the ships, located close to each other, missing last week.

Masidi said his ministry was not consulted on the research. He said he had also received reports about those who deceived the local communities by claiming to be “tourism officials” to justify the presence of a China-registered salvage vessel in the bay.

Local fishermen and dive operators began highlighting the presence of the salvage vessel late last month after noticing damage to the shipwrecks.

UMS later explained that it was conducting a research because the ships contained 3,000 tonnes of toxic materials. “I want to find out from UMS whether destroying the wrecks is part of their research.

They claimed the ships contain toxic materials. However, the shipwrecks have been lying on the seabed for years and I don’t know of any adverse effects,” Masidi said.

UMS research team leader Baszley Bee Basrah Bee said the wrecks were not missing, but had been moved to other locations underwater.

He also claimed that they only excavated samples from the sites and had explained the research to Department of Environment officials.

Samples were also submitted to the department, he added. Sabah Department of Environment director Tunku Khalkausar Tunku Fatahi @ Fathi confirmed her officers had held a discussion with Baszley to get details on findings by UMS, but denied receiving the sample.

The UMS research was funded by local company Ugeens Berjaya Enterprise, which had commissioned a China-registered vessel to salvage materials from the shipwrecks within four coordinates approved by the Sabah Marine Department.

Company manager Fauziah Abdul Rahman had confirmed this, but did not explain their role in the research.

-New Straits Times

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