Sabah authorities must disclose the environmental assessments and safeguards for the proposed High Altitude Training Centre (HATC) at Mount Kinabalu, says Luyang assemblyman Samuel Wong.
He said approval by the Sabah Parks Board of Trustees and endorsement from the Mount Kinabalu Native Customary Advisory Council did not, by themselves, guarantee that the project would not affect the mountain’s environment.
Samuel said the government should explain what conditions were imposed, what assessments were conducted and how compliance would be monitored.
“Approval is one thing, but environmental protection is another. The government must show the public what was approved, what conditions were imposed and how compliance is being monitored,” he said in a statement from Kota Kinabalu on Wednesday.
He questioned whether fresh geological and structural assessments had been carried out when the project was revived in 2025, given that it had previously been deferred following the 2015 earthquake.
Samuel also said the use of lightweight, prefabricated materials did not automatically rule out environmental impacts.
He wanted details of the project’s development footprint, drilling activities and ground disturbance, as well as its potential effects on the mountain’s fragile environment.
The assemblyman urged the Tourism, Culture and Environment Ministry and Sabah Parks to release the approved plans, site coordinates, technical assessments and approval conditions.
He also questioned whether the project location had been checked against the official boundaries of the UNESCO World Heritage property.
On customary rights, Samuel sought clarification on what the Mount Kinabalu Native Customary Advisory Council had endorsed and whether affected communities and customary custodians had been properly consulted.
He said the mountain held cultural and spiritual significance for Sabah’s indigenous communities, adding that their participation should be meaningful.
Samuel further called for details of the centre’s planned accommodation capacity, water consumption and sewage management, as well as arrangements for monitoring waste and biodiversity once it becomes operational.
He proposed regular independent environmental audits and public reporting to ensure compliance with the conditions imposed on the project.
“If violations are found, the authorities must act. No project should be exempted from environmental laws and regulations simply because it has received government approval,” he said.
Samuel said he was not opposed to tourism development or improved facilities for climbers, but maintained that development should not compromise Mount Kinabalu’s natural heritage.
He urged the state government to demonstrate how the project could proceed while protecting the mountain for future generations.
