Sabah is set to make a major breakthrough in elephant conservation with the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to formalize the management of the sanctuary in Lower Kinabatangan.

Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Seri Christina Liew said she will be in Sandakan this Saturday for a site inspection and the signing of the MoU between the wildlife department and a private entity to promote the state’s new tourism project and elephant conservation.

“I am full of confidence when the project take off that we will manage properly because all the necessary steps have been covered,”

“The project will start off with the land that has been donated to the state by the Japanese firm Saraya Co Ltd and also further to that we have also applied to the state government to the unutilised lands, making it the biggest project for the elephant corridor plan,” she said when met by reporters in Kota Kinabalu, Thursday.

Liew noted that her ministry is also in the process of appointing a contractor to plant the grass.

“Rest assured (this project) will pick up, because we take this matter seriously (because) elephant corridor means a lot economically to the planters of oil palm and reduce the elephant-human conflict.

“Also this will be an additional new tourism projects, especially the Europeans who love wildlife and Kinabatangan,” she said.

The sanctuary will span 93 hectares of land acquired through contributions from Japanese firm Saraya Co Ltd and the Borneo Conservation Trust (BCT) Japan.

The RM9.3 million land acquisition has already supported elephant rescue operations, habitat restoration, and the upgrading of sanctuary facilities.

Asked about claims of the sanctuary being in poor condition, Liew stressed the importance of appointing a qualified company to manage the project.

“The condition of the sanctuary depends on proper management, and we are confident it will succeed,” she said. – January 16, 2025.