Kota Kinabalu: The Indigenous Native Customary Community Organisation of Sabah (Maans–Sunduan Nabalu) has called for an official dialogue with Sabah Parks management to establish long-term consultative mechanisms following public debate over the proposed High Altitude Training Centre (HATC) on Mount Kinabalu.
Maans president Shalmon Sanangan (pic) said the dialogue aimed to set clear consultation procedures before any future projects are carried out in areas carrying native customary and spiritual sensitivities.
He noted that the organisation had received briefings from Sabah Parks’ top management and was satisfied with measures taken so far, including the performance of traditional customary rituals prior to preliminary works.
Shalmon acknowledged that high-altitude research and training centres are standard facilities internationally in nations such as Switzerland, France, Kenya, and Ethiopia to support sports, physiological studies, and mountain safety.
However, he stressed that international precedent must be weighed against local geography, ecology, conservation status, and the spiritual sanctity of Mount Kinabalu.
"Gunung Kinabalu is not merely a geographical landmark, tourism spot, or scientific research site; it holds a very special position in the history, faith, customs, and identity of Sabah’s indigenous people," he said.
He highlighted that in traditional beliefs, the mountain is revered as Pongoluan, the sacred resting place of ancestral spirits requiring both physical environmental protection and spiritual respect.
Shalmon said Maans, representing more than 40 native ethnic groups alongside traditional practitioners, is currently consulting native ritual leaders (Bobohizan) across the state to consolidate community views.
He urged all quarters not to politicise the project or use the sacred heritage of native communities for partisan agendas.
The public was also advised to remain calm, avoid unverified speculation, and rely on factual engagement regarding developments on the mountain.
