Former Sabah chief minister Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal has spoken out against the privatisation of the Bornean Elephant Sanctuary in Telupid, arguing that such moves risk eroding public trust and undermining wildlife conservation efforts.

During a walkabout in Lido, Luyang, on Saturday, Shafie emphasized the need for long-term planning and public management in protecting Sabah’s endangered species.

“When we were in government, we allocated 30,000 hectares in Telupid as a sanctuary to protect wildlife like elephants and orangutans,” he said. “Why privatize it now? It should remain under public management.”

Shafie also recalled a significant donation by Saraya Corporation, a Japanese environmental firm, to bolster Sabah’s conservation efforts. 

The company’s owner, he said, personally handed over several thousand hectares of land to the state government, urging that it be preserved for wild animals.

“He came to my office and said, ‘Please preserve this land for wild animals.’ That’s the kind of commitment we need—land meant for conservation must be protected, not handed over for privatization,” Shafie added.

Saraya Corporation has recently committed RM1 million to fund a food corridor project in the Lower Kinabatangan region over the next five years, aimed at reducing human-elephant conflicts.

Shafie’s criticism extended to what he described as a lack of coherent planning in addressing wildlife conservation issues in the state.

“There must be proper planning. It cannot be ad hoc… just because we want to address the issues of the resort there. What is it for? Do you think the elephants are only in Kinabatangan? They’re also in Kalabakan,” he said.

The former chief minister also referenced his administration’s decision to ban raw log exports, highlighting the policy as a critical step in protecting natural habitats for wildlife.

“If elephants could vote, they would vote for us because we protected their habitat by stopping log exports,” Shafie said.

He suggested Sabah could learn from models like Africa’s Serengeti, where large tracts of land are dedicated to conservation and eco-tourism.

“Why can’t we house elephants like they do in Africa? Serengeti has thousands of acres meant for tourism and preservation—it can be done here too,” he said.

Shafie further cautioned that privatization could jeopardize Sabah’s rich natural heritage and urged for greater transparency in how conservation areas are managed.

“Wildlife is part of Sabah’s heritage. Privatization threatens that heritage,” he said.

His remarks came shortly after the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the Kinabatangan-Corridor of Life Tourism Operators Association and Kg Bilit’s Village Development and Security Committee. 

Under the agreement, tourism operators will impose a conservation levy of RM5 per tourist, with 10% of the proceeds going to the village development fund. – January 25, 2025.