Kota Kinabalu: Warisan Vice President and N22 Tanjung Aru Assemblyman, Datuk Junz Wong, has urged authorities to conduct a professional, comprehensive and transparent investigation into the boat collision incident at Pulau Mengalum following the discovery of the boat operator’s body last Sunday.
He also conveyed his condolences to the victim’s family and stressed that the incident could no longer be viewed as merely an ordinary maritime accident, given the serious questions surrounding safety compliance, operational oversight and the accountability of the relevant authorities.
According to him, the public now wants to know which party should be held responsible for the incident, whether it is Kota Kinabalu City Hall as the authority managing and approving jetty operations, or the relevant tourism ministry overseeing Sabah’s tourism industry.
He said the investigation must not be shielded by secrecy, selective disclosure or any perception of protecting certain institutions, especially if the incident involved tourist boat operations to Pulau Mengalum.
Junz said the incident has attracted widespread public attention and authorities must ensure that the investigation is conducted independently, professionally and transparently.
He added that the investigation findings must also be fully disclosed to the public to preserve confidence in the integrity of local authorities and to avoid perceptions of attempts to conceal the true facts.
According to him, several important questions must be answered, including whether the boat involved was carrying tourists, whether passenger manifests were submitted as required, and whether all crew members and operators complied with the prescribed safety SOPs.He also questioned whether operational licences, permits, insurance coverage and operator competency certificates were genuinely valid and properly enforced.
In addition, Junz raised concerns over the level of enforcement, monitoring and safety inspections at the jetty, including compliance with life jacket requirements, passenger capacity limits and standard operating procedures.
He said the public has the right to know whether there were enforcement failures, negligence or weaknesses in safety compliance that may have contributed to the tragedy.
According to him, the most important matter is not merely identifying who should be blamed, but ensuring accountability is upheld and preventing similar tragedies from recurring in the future.
In the same statement, he reiterated his position that DBKK should focus on its core responsibilities as a local authority, including ensuring that Kota Kinabalu remains safe, clean, attractive and tourist-friendly.
He said he had repeatedly raised concerns, including during the recent Sabah State Legislative Assembly sitting, that DBKK should not be overly involved in private business operations such as tourist boat services if it fails to ensure that safety and enforcement aspects are properly monitored.
He stated that if DBKK is unable to ensure tourist boat operations at the jetty are managed safely and professionally, then the government should consider returning management and regulatory responsibilities to the tourism ministry or another more suitable authority.
Junz also stressed that Sabah’s international tourism reputation must not continue to be tarnished by safety controversies, especially as Visit Malaysia Year 2026 is currently underway.
According to him, tourist safety is not a secondary issue because it involves human lives, international confidence and Sabah’s reputation as a safe and trusted tourism destination.
He stressed that the authorities must prove that transparency, accountability and public safety are more important than efforts to protect reputations or certain commercial interests.
