KOTAKINABALU: Sabah will investigate the drowning incident involving a 25-year-old Chinese tourist off Mamutik Island here recently.
State Tourism, Culture and Environment minister Datuk Christina Liew said the incident serves as a reminder to all travellers and operators to continue to strictly practise and adhere to operation procedures set for any tourism-related recreational activities.
During the incident, the victim had gone scuba diving with seven others but he was not found when the activity ended and the rest returned to shore.
"The responsibility of ensuring safety during tourism activities must always be given priority. In this case, we will probeto understand how the victim was unnoticed until everyone returned to the beach.
"Under the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Environment (KePKAS), together with Sabah Parks, we will continue to ensure safety measures are in place and to remind all operators not to turn a blind eye to the task of assuming safety," she said in a statement.
Liew also added that she will also call for an engagement session between tourism stakeholders, Sabah Tourism Board (STB) and Sabah Parks.
Liew made it clear that lifeguards are placed on duty at islands under the Sabah Parks purview while the safety of divers is under the supervision and responsibility of dive masters.
"My ministry places utmost concern on all safety issues and will continue to ensure all relevant authorities play their roles, respectively, in safeguarding everyone's safety," she added.