KOTA KINABALU (ANN/THE STAR) – Frequent road collapses in Sabah’s Kiulu, a popular rural tourism destination an hour from Kota Kinabalu, have caused tour operators to incur losses of MYR200,000 due to cancellations and have disrupted local access.
The latest landslide along the hilly Kiulu road, at the foothills of Mt Kinabalu, has even forced schoolchildren to navigate dangerous collapsed sections.
Kiulu assemblyman Datuk Joniston Bangkuai raised concerns about the economic and social impact of these frequent landslides, urging swift action to prevent further disruption.
As Sabah’s Assistant Minister of Tourism, Culture, and Environment, he emphasised that quick repairs are essential to restore access and support the local tourism industry.
“Tour operators in Kiulu are experiencing a significant downturn, as travel agents have categorised the area as high-risk following the landslides.
“Cancellations have impacted a range of outdoor activities, and if repairs are not completed promptly, the financial consequences could worsen,” he warned during a visit to the affected areas.
He has urged the Public Works Department (JKR) and their contractors to regularly monitor the roads in Kiulu to immediately respond to signs of potential landslides or earth movements.
He said two key roads, Jalan Tamparuli-Kiulu near Kampung Malangang and Jalan Kiulu-Lawa Mandau near Kiulu, bore the brunt of the landslides, severely disrupting the community.
Bangkuai said repairs would take two weeks during a site visit with the department to assess the situation at Jalan Tamparuli-Kiulu.
He added that he contacted Deputy Chief Minister III and state Works Minister Datuk Shahelmy Yahya to assist in expediting repairs.
Kiulu Tourism Association president Mejin Maginggow, who was with Bangkuai at the site, said that the longer the repairs take, the more significant the losses for the tourism industry, which relies heavily on nature-based activities.
