RANAU: Bundu Tuhan Village Heritage and Culture Head Adrian Soros has questioned whether communities with customary ties to Mount Kinabalu were consulted over construction going up on the mountain, saying economic development must not sideline customary practices.
Adrian said most villagers were not informed about the construction and questioned who was responsible for ensuring that customary requirements were observed.
“Respect for customary practices is just as important as new regulations and must not be relegated to second place,” he said.
Building materials and equipment beside one of the structures.Adrian, who is a Dusun activist, said authorities and others using the mountain were temporary users who should respect customary obligations just as climbers were expected to do.
Under the customary understanding, making holes or piercing areas of the mountain constituted an affront to Gayongaran, according to him.
Adrian said photographs circulating online could be submitted to the Native Court for investigating alleged customary breaches.
The photographs show several steep-roofed structures on rocky mountain slopes, with building materials and equipment visible around some units. They do not establish the project’s approval status or its arrangements for sewage and waste management.
He described Gayongaran as a major water source for areas surrounding Mount Kinabalu and raised concerns about its protection.
While acknowledging that development could create jobs and economic opportunities, he also questioned how the benefits would be distributed.
“This may be an economic opportunity and create jobs, but who will reap the greater benefits?” he asked.
Separately, Ramlan Goddos raised questions about development approval, environmental carrying capacity and sewage disposal after viewing social media posts about the structures at Sayat-Sayat.
Referring to what he described as chalet construction, Ramlan questioned whether work had already begun.
“Has the construction of chalets at Sayat-Sayat’s elevation been approved by the Sabah Parks Board of Trustees? Or only by the concessionaire licensed to operate the business?” he asked.
Ramlan said the implications for visitor numbers, waste disposal and water sources needed careful consideration.
“Consider the effects of overcrowding, exceeding environmental carrying capacity and the management of waste, including human waste.
“Consider also the pollution of the most precious water sources from Mount Kinabalu,” he said, and wondered how sanitation infrastructure could be installed on the mountain’s hard granite terrain.
“How do they dig manholes or septic tanks on hard granite rock faces?” he asked.
Yahya Okit, who shared photographs identifying the structures as Sayat-Sayat Hut, said in one caption that he was unsure whether they had opened to the public and invited those familiar with the development to clarify.
