KOTA KINABALU: Sabah Agriculture and Food Industry Ministry is mulling the possibility of revoking all licences related to extracting and exporting of wild corals in the state, its minister Datuk Junz Wong said today.
This was following a recent incident that went viral on social media claiming that corals were being taken out from Semporna waters.
Wong said to date, only four companies were given licences to export corals taken from Sabah waters.
In the Semporna case, Wong said the government-linked company (GLC) was believed to be exporting the corals for aquariums in Singapore and Korea.
"It is legal for the company to do so (as it is allowed) during the previous government.
"We will rectify this. In my (ministry's blueprint), I will ensure ban of all wild coral extraction as well as exports," he said when contacted.
Wong added that if the state Cabinet agreed to ban the related companies from continuing to export the corals, he would instruct the relevant government agency to proceed with the action.
On Tuesday, Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Christina Liew said that relevant authorities should work together to get to the bottom of the matter.
Liew, who is also state Tourism, Culture and Environment minister, said coral extraction could tarnish the image and reputation of Sabah.
A Facebook user, identified as 'Laili Basir', has recently uploaded several pictures showing live corals in a polystyrene box being loaded from a boat to a four-wheel drive vehicle.
The incident was said to have happened at the Semporna jetty on Oct 3.