SEMPORNA – A prominent tourism operator in Semporna is calling for a collaborative effort from all stakeholders to enhance the standards of cleanliness in the tourism-centric district.
Responding to a minister’s warning that a red notice could be issued to the township over the issue, the owner of a local homestay outlet, known simply as Farhana, emphasised that the duty to maintain Semporna’s cleanliness cannot be solely attributed to tourism operators.
She said that a shared responsibility should be assumed by all parties, including the local residents of Semporna.
“The minister’s statement stressed a lot on the tourism players, such as restaurants, homestays, hotels, and resort owners.
“But just because Semporna is famous for its tourism spots, does not mean that we are the only ones responsible for keeping the district clean,” she said.
“Even though the minister also mentioned the local authority (Semporna district office), (he should have highlighted that) the people of Semporna and the tourists themselves have the responsibility to keep the tourism spots clean.”
Regarding tourists’ behaviour, she refrained from directly blaming them but acknowledged that some foreign visitors’ attitudes had contributed to the subpar hygiene conditions at Semporna’s tourist attractions.
Nonetheless, Farhana saw the minister’s statement as a wake-up call for all tourism operators. She expressed the collective eagerness among operators to enhance their premises’ cleanliness and the quality of their services to tourists, largely to avert the issuance of the red notice.
Contacted by Scoop, several tourism stakeholders were hesitant to comment on the matter. However, Farhana noted that this reluctance stemmed from their need to maintain a favourable relationship with governmental bodies, such as the local authority and state and federal tourism ministries.
“But I believe that all of us (Semporna tourism players) feel that we are wrongfully blamed in this situation. But we are aware that there is room for improvement in our services,” she said.
Last Thursday, Tourism, Arts, and Culture Minister Tiong King Sing cautioned that a red notice would be issued if the ministry continued to receive complaints from tourists regarding inadequate cleanliness in Semporna.
Tiong said his ministry had received multiple complaints regarding rubbish left strewn in various parts of Semporna, leaving an unpleasant odour, as well as cases of food poisoning, pest infestation, and poor hospitality services.
This statement led the Semporna district office to conduct an engagement session here last night, with about 300 tourism and eatery operators present.
Semporna district officer Alexander Liew, when met by reporters after the session, said the district will hold monthly ‘gotong royong’ programmes with tourism players, local residents, and the private sector.
Following Tiong’s statement, Sabah opposition leader Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal said he had asked for the Semporna district office to take action on the matter.
However, he stressed that there is no cause for concern or anxiety as the food poisoning cases in Semporna were isolated, and that there was no outbreak.
Sabah Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Christina Liew said the state government is taking Tiong’s warning seriously, but said the aspects of public cleanliness, health, and safety in the town area are within the jurisdiction of the Semporna district office. – August 22, 2023