Article: Sabah looking into claims of destruction of coral reef

Friday June 19, 2009

KOTA KINABALU: A high-level probe has begun following allegations by a former minister that coral reefs near the protected Semporna Islands Park area are being broken up for use by medical and pharmaceutical companies.

It is believed the corals are ground up into powder for sale to these companies to be made into products for bone surgery, dentistry or drugs.

State Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Masidi Manjum said he had given a committee headed by his minister Deputy Permanent Secretary William Bayo three weeks to wrap up its investigation into the allegation by former state Social Services Minister Datuk Kong Hong Ming that coral reef extraction had been occurring there in the past 10 years.

"This is a very serious matter. I do not want to prejudice the probe by saying any more about it," Masidi said yesterday.

Kong alleged that an estimated 1.2 million tonnes of corals had been extracted by a certain group under the pretext of dredging sea sand. He said the dredging had been going on near the 350 sq km Semporna Islands Park, which is considered one of the nation's prime coral reef sites, and had recently moved to Kalumpang at Balung near Tawau.

Kong said the group was licensed to mine sea sand from the Mineral and Geosciences Department of Sabah in 2007 but claimed that its permit was not renewed.

Kong said he had visited an area in Tawau where 1,000 tonnes of corals were stored but for some reason, the stockpile was removed two days after his visit.

Sabah Environmental Protection Association president Wong Tack expressed concern over the alleged illegal operation.

This article was taken from: The Star Online: Nation, 19 June 2009