A flourishing marine ecosystem off Kota Belud in the Usukan Bay nurtured by the shipwrecks of World War II Japanese vessels, which were torpedoed by a United States submarine, is reported missing; a whole ecosystem of fish, corals and other marine creatures just upped and disappeared. The area is now mostly grey and marine life near absent. The site is an economic resource to Sabah. For the local village community of Kuala Abai, it means life. They fish there. For the state, it is a world-renowned tourist attraction. And, what irks the locals most is when, on Jan 11, a large foreign-owned salvage vessel came into the waters and told the fishermen in a foreign language to leave the area. The salvage work was being done for a research project carried out by Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS).
Naturally, it is UMS that must be held responsible for this alarming loss of an ecosystem. The vice-chancellor has promised to clarify the situation further. The wrecks have been moved because the armada had been carrying 3,000 tonnes of toxic material. A fair assumption can be made, and some have made it, that the idea of an ecosystem growing and then flourishing around hazardous toxic material seems a little far-fetched. One presumes then that the storage facility was water tight and there were no leaks, despite being underwater for decades. If leaks were present, those diving and fishing in the vicinity of the wrecks would have easily realised it: the fishes would have long gone. Instead, on Jan 31, divers discovered that almost all of the thriving ecosystem was no longer there and the authorities were quite unaware. A stop-work order had been issued on Jan 25 by the Sabah Tourism, Culture and Environment Ministry.
While the whole episode is suspicious, what is of concern is the destruction perpetrated on the environment. Granted, UMS had permission to carry out research on what is, in effect, a historic site, but that is not a licence to destroy. What manner of research entails destruction? Even if there are 3,000 tonnes of toxic material to be salvaged, the objective should be the conservation and preservation of the area to as pristine a level as possible. UMS being the party responsible — irrespective of whether the research was being funded by a private company — must be held to account in the strictest manner. Those found negligent must be severely penalised. The outcome of the negligence is tremendous in its impact. First, the livelihood of the Kuala Abai fishermen has been decimated. Second, a world-renowned tourist attraction wiped out. And third, a historic site has perished. The economic consequences to Sabah is obvious.
The public awaits UMS’s clarification. Should it be found inadequate, then the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission should investigate. There is a sense that the research was not done transparently: the local community was kept in the dark and the local authorities appeared to be ill-informed. It is remarkably bizarre and mysterious, for, how can an entire ecosystem disappear?