Semporna committed to improving hygiene, hospitality, and health issues

Tourism industry players, including accommodation and eatery operators in Semporna, are committed to cooperating with the authorities in ensuring that hygiene, hospitality and health issues are improved from time to time.

Semporna district officer Alexander Liew said an engagement session involving local authorities and government agencies together with tourism industry players including eatery operators was held to get views on hospitality, hygiene or health issues.

He said all parties involved in the district will also hold a monthly “gotong royong” programme and hopes that residents and the private sector in Semporna will participate in the effort.

“We do not want the red notice to be issued on Semporna, that's why the cooperation of all parties is important, and the businessmen cooperate to maintain cleanliness in Semporna district.

“The Semporna District Council is also making efforts to maintain cleanliness in Semporna. Compared with Semporna before, it is now much cleaner, even in terms of food poisoning which is an isolated issue,” he said.

He was met by reporters after an engagement session involving local authorities and government agencies with nearly 300 players in the tourism industry today.

On Aug 17, Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Tiong King Sing warned that he would issue a red notice to Semporna if the issues of hygiene, food poisoning, and hospitality involving the tourism sector in the district are not resolved.

Semporna Health Officer Sahrol Nizam Abu Bakar said his office did not receive complaints on food poisoning involving foreign tourists as claimed by Tiong but the Health Ministry's Public Complaints Management System (SisPAA) recorded two cases of food poisoning involving local tourists in May this year.

“The tourist stayed in Semporna with his family and a day before he returned home, he had diarrhoea. However, he did receive treatment either in Kuala Lumpur or the place where he lives, this information was received through SisPAA which was then channelled to the Semporna Health Office.

“I hope complaints continue to be channelled to the health office because we can do an immediate investigation. A total of 367 food and beverage premises were inspected from the beginning of this year until Aug 16, with 66 compound notices issued,” he said.

Sahrol Nizam said the district health office is also conducting a re-inspection of all resort kitchens, hotels and restaurants from Aug 18 to 27.

Meanwhile, Sabah Local Government and Housing Ministry deputy permanent secretary Stanley Chong Hon Chung said every year the Sabah government spends RM2 million to clean the sea in Semporna.

He said his office also provided two garbage collection boats to reduce garbage in the sea area and help facilitate garbage management in the district.

“The local authorities have also prepared a city health platform, in collaboration with the health department, to ensure cleanliness in Semporna. Please don’t issue a red notice over some issues that we can resolve as this may force all the tourism operators to close their business,” he added.

- Bernama