KOTA KINABALU: The Sabah government has not received any applications or granted approval for oil and gas exploration off Tun Mustapha Marine Park.
State Tourism, Culture, and Environment Minister Datuk Christina Liew said the area, which is the largest marine park in the country, was gazetted under the Parks Enactment 1984 in 2016.
"Any activities within the protected area that have been gazetted under the State Government must obtain approval before any activities can commence.
"To date, the authorities for the Tun Mustapha Marine Park, have not received any applications or granted any approvals related to oil and gas exploration activities within the Tun Mustapha Marine Park area.
"The Tourism, Culture, and Environment Ministry, through the Board of Trustees of Sabah Parks, is responsible for ensuring that the marine ecosystem within the protected area is fully preserved in accordance with the Parks Enactment 1984 and other related State laws," she said in a statement.
Last week, environmental watchdog RimbaWatch raised concerns over the exploration of block SB-403, which was awarded under a production sharing contract between Petronas Carigali, EPMV and SMJ Energy, which is said overlap entirely with the park's boundaries, posing risks to biodiversity and the livelihoods of local communities.
SMJ Energy, however, had clarified that it had no stake in that block.