Hajiji with security personnel stationed on Sipadan Island during his visit to the island in conjunction with the Chief Minister’s Security Inspection Tour Programme to the Eastern Sabah Security Zone (ESSZone), today.
SEMPORNA: Comprehensive planning, including the upgrading of existing facilities, must be carried out to strengthen Semporna’s position as a premier tourism district while expanding its potential in the Blue Economy sector.
Chief Minister Datuk Seri Haji Hajiji Haji Noor said Semporna possesses unique attractions with world-renowned destinations such as Sipadan Island, apart from several other islands that continue to draw visitors.
He said the district also holds vast potential in the fisheries and marine sectors that could be explored through Blue Economy development.
“Semporna is not only known for tourism, but its fisheries and marine resources also hold tremendous potential.
“In the briefing, the District Officer also presented good plans for Semporna’s future, including efforts to maintain cleanliness and improve facilities such as jetties on the islands and other amenities,” he told reporters after receiving a briefing on Semporna’s district development during his visit to Mataking Island, here, today.
The visit was held in conjunction with the Chief Minister’s Security Inspection Tour Programme to the Eastern Sabah Security Zone (ESSZone), which began in Sandakan on Tuesday, continued in Lahad Datu yesterday and concluded in Semporna today.
Hajiji said all aspects of development would be comprehensively reviewed to ensure Semporna emerges as a more advanced and competitive tourism district.
“Semporna has Sipadan Island and several other islands that are internationally recognised.
“If properly preserved, the tourism sector here can become an invaluable treasure not only for Sabah but also for Malaysia,” he said.
He said the State Government remains committed to improving facilities and development needs in Semporna in line with the growth of the tourism sector, including in Lahad Datu and Sandakan.
On the Blue Economy, Hajiji said development of the sector has been outlined under the Sabah Maju Jaya (SMJ) 2.0 roadmap as part of efforts to strengthen state revenue.
“We will explore Blue Economy resources over the next five years and hope it will become an economic activity capable of increasing the income of the state and local communities,” he said.
Earlier, he said the visit to the cluster of islands around Semporna, as well as Sandakan and Lahad Datu, was aimed at personally assessing the security situation, particularly on islands along Sabah’s east coast.
He said he also wanted to inspect the condition of security control posts and receive development briefings for each district visited during the tour.
During the programme in Semporna, Hajiji also visited Sipadan Island and received a brief briefing from Sabah Parks on current developments on the island before officiating the groundbreaking ceremony for a security post on Ligitan Island.
