KOTA KINABALU: Sabah Parks has urged the tour operators in the state to ensure that their tourists bring their necessary identification documents when traveling around Sabah.
Board of Trustees Senior Park manager Maipol Spait said tour operators had a tendency for not bringing their respective tourists’ passports when visiting Sabah Parks.
“These tourists usually leave their passports in their hotel rooms…maybe they are afraid that they may damage their passports (when they visit the islands),” he said when met by reporters during an operation at Pulau Manukan on Thursday.
“This is for their (the tourists) own safety. In the event of an emergency or an accident, the identification of victims can be easily obtained if they have their passports with them,” he said, adding that passports would help speed up any identifying process.
When asked whether legal action would be taken against tourists for not bringing their passports along, Immigration Department representative Abdul Matar Abdul Mutalib said that a warning would be issued against them instead.
The three-hour operation was spearheaded by Sabah Parks, Police and the Immigration Department and it covered three islands, namely Pulau Manukan, Pulau Mamutik and Pulau Sapi.
A total of 165 individuals, comprising tourists and workers and 48 boats were inspected.
Only one male boat skipper was slapped with a RM20 compound for not possessing a landing permit. None of the said individuals were fined.
“The purpose of this operation is to ensure that the procedures and rules of the Sabah Parks Enactment are complied with.
Continue reading at: Tourists must carry ID – Sabah Parks
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