Losing Paradise - Tioman Dive Site set to be destroyed

[Yeoh Chee Weng]

Please read this report on 6 Sept. Star newspaper's headlines:
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2004/9/6/nation/8833465&sec=nation

I call upon all divers and nature lovers to write a letter of concern to the editor@thestar.com.my. If the Star's Mail receives many letters it would hopefully publish these and highlight the senseless destruction of our natural heritage. This destruction of a marine park in Tioman Island will set a precedence for more destruction of the rest of our marine parks. Foreign visitors who have seen the splendour of our tropical reefs will do a great favour to this WWF-Malaysia and Malaysian Nature Society supporter by expressing their dismay to sacrifice a Marine Park Site for a marina.

Thank you for your support

 

[frogfish]

So on the one hand the Malaysian government makes moves to protect Sipadan and on the other hand plans this ?

 

[orangeBloke]

That's just nuts. Why can't they move it even a bit further up the coast away from the Marine park where there is far less to destroy? That doesn't make sense at all

 

[underwater daphne]

don't just write to the star, write to the authorities. get your datuk and tungku friends involved. if you have time demonstrate with the tioman locals. we have to stop this somehow.

btw: http://www.scubaboard.com/t70378-how-to-save-an-island.html

 

[underwater daphne]

That's just nuts. Why can't they move it even a bit further up the coast away from the Marine park where there is far less to destroy? That doesn't make sense at all

you're not making sense and don't seem to understand the situation. Tioman IS the marine park!

and there is hardly any coral at the marine park you mean, just tamed fish.

 

[Yeoh Chee Weng]

don't just write to the star, write to the authorities. get your datuk and tungku friends involved. if you have time demonstrate with the tioman locals. we have to stop this somehow.

I have already done that before I posted this request for support. It remains the right of the Star editors whether to print your letter. However, from previous experience the more letters the local newspapers receive on a cogent matter the more likely they would respond. Hence my request.

 

[Yeoh Chee Weng]

So on the one hand the Malaysian government makes moves to protect Sipadan and on the other hand plans this ?

Malaysian land laws is really peculiar. The Malaysian Federal government have no say in state land - it is in our Constitution. Here the Pahang state government (which has jurisdiction over Tioman island ) claims that land includes the sea bed. Marine Park laws are enforced by the Federal Government - it seems that the protection is only for marine life in the seas and does not cover the reefs and corals! What obfuscatory nonsense is this?

Our WWF-Malaysian chapter and Malaysian Nature Society (I am a member of both associations) are appealing to the politicians to rectify this obvious travesty of the spirit of protection for our marine environment.

 

[orangeBloke]

you're not making sense and don't seem to understand the situation. Tioman IS the marine park!

and there is hardly any coral at the marine park you mean, just tamed fish.

When I said up the coast, I meant away from Tioman. There are plenty of other places that could benefit from a marina without doing so much damage to the sea life in the area.

The marine park is the main issue. Why establish something that's there for protection of an ecosystem only to decide to rip a big hole in it in later on. And then there's the effect on the local people that must be taken into account. Their way of life will be altered

 

[archman]

The smell of money...

Sounds like the marina would make more of it. You'd have to argue that the marine park brings in enough tourist dollars to offset this. Does it?

 

[underwater daphne]

When I said up the coast, I meant away from Tioman. There are plenty of other places that could benefit from a marina without doing so much damage to the sea life in the area.

The marine park is the main issue. Why establish something that's there for protection of an ecosystem only to decide to rip a big hole in it in later on. And then there's the effect on the local people that must be taken into account. Their way of life will be altered

then i apologise.

personally i just don't see the need for a new marina. there are so many jetties on tioman and we also already have an airport. there's more sense in building a bigger airport in mersing (mersing used to have a small airport btw).

there won't be more money, because there won't be more tourists. they'll never cover the costs.