SEMPORNA: The authorities demolished illegal structures in Tun Sakaran Marine Park here for security purposes, said state Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Christina Liew.
A few days before Hari Raya Aidilfitri, two Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) officers were injured by gunmen in waters off Kunak, with one of them sustaining permanent blindness in one eye.
"This operation was carried out due to security issues at the district level, following shooting incidents in Darvel Bay, as well as cross-border criminal activities in the unauthorised settlements.
"The sovereignty of the nation's laws in this issue must be upheld," she said in a statement.
She was commenting on the viral posts by a non-governmental organisation that many Bajau Laut people had lost their homes following the operation.
The posts included pictures of burning houses.
Liew said 273 evacuation notices were issued from May 2 to 4 to unauthorised settlements built within Tun Sakaran Marine Park.
During the operations conducted from June 4 to 6, 138 unauthorised settlements were demolished in the hot zone.
Other houses were demolished by the owners, but some left their homes as is.
Apart from Sabah Parks, other agencies that took part in the operation were the police, marine police, Semporna district office and council, Eastern Sabah Security Command, Immigration Department and the National Registration Department.
"According to police sources involved in the operation, some homeowners burnt their houses while the operation team was not in the area.
"They intend to make the issue go viral on social media and garner sympathy and attention from Netizens."
Liew said in terms of compliance with the Parks Enactment 1984, Tun Sakaran Marine Park is one of the areas proclaimed as a park area or a state park.
She added that any violation of provisions under the enactment, such as fishing, erecting structures without permission and farming, empowered Sabah Parks to take action accordingly.
"The issue of deforestation on Bodgaya Island for agricultural purposes and the construction of more than 200 structures without permission is an example of a violation against the enactment.
"All actions that have been implemented have been agreed upon by the relevant agencies in several meetings, including eight legitimate representatives of the Tun Sakaran Marine Park community, who unanimously requested the immediate removal of the unauthorised community from the area."