Perhentian Islands's Sugar Wreck

[wahlaoeh]

Hi, I just received a Facebook petition on salvage surveyors are planning to raise the wreck due to oil leaking?? Googled but couldn't find any info on this. Anyone has any info on this. Thanks.
Happy bubbles,
Jovin-

 

[huisen]

I've read on a Malaysian forum that it's 1. for the scrap metal (which I don't quite believe) and 2. that it's part of the Marine Department's exercise to remove navigational hazards in shallow waters. Nothing mentioned about an oil leak.

From what I seen and what I've heard, Perhentian Island's going to hell in stages anyway....

Fishing in the marine park, poor management, resorts sprouting like mushrooms in damp, bad garbage disposal, irresposible holiday makers, sewage, soil and chemical run off, erosion, etc.

Malaysia is in the tropical reef/coral triangle. The powers that be don't really give a crap.

 

[victor]

From what I seen and what I've heard, Perhentian Island's going to hell in stages anyway....

Fishing in the marine park, poor management, resorts sprouting like mushrooms in damp, bad garbage disposal, irresposible holiday makers, sewage, soil and chemical run off, erosion, etc.

Malaysia is in the tropical reef/coral triangle. The powers that be don't really give a crap.

Can you expand on this. I have been to Perhentian last year and a few years before and did not have the impression that it was going to hell in a handbag.

I really hope not as I love the islands and it would be terrible if it became like some of the overbuilt resorts.

 

[huisen]

Sure. The last time I went to Perhentian was last year as well. I didn't like what I saw then which was more resorts being built and a layer of silt over some of the corals. I also didn't like the amount of plastic floating around and the stuff that I find washed ashore every morning. I had a very good dive at Tokong Laut but from what other local divers have been saying, it wouldn't be the same now. Fishermen have been catching fish there despite it being in a marine park.

I have to admit Victor, that I haven't been since last year so part of my impression of the situation in Perhentian is second hand information. Having said that, the information is shared by other divers on the Malaysian divers' forums. malaysianunderwater.com and malaysiadivingcommunity.com.

I'm quite heartened to know that the islands are special to you. It is a wonderful place and was once paradise but I will still maintain I think it's all downhill from here. Not while there's a buck to be made and to hell with the environment.

As for the wreck, this was posted in the MUW forum on the 14th:

"Good news just come in from KL. The plans to remove the SSW have now been halted due to the reponse from the puplic and Perhentian operators. The ministry claimed they were not aware of the importance of the shipwreck to local businesses and as an articficial reef and thank everyone for bringing the matter to their attention.

Great news and thanks to anyone who wrote in.

Best, Peter"

I, as recently as 10 days ago, dived somewhere south of Perhentian. Somewhere which is not on any current dive brochure and at this time, not well known at all. Only one dive centre goes there. The fish are numerous, full sized and healthy. The reef is in pristine condition. Untouched. This is what I could imagine Perhentian was once like. It used to be a Vietnamese refugee camp so has been and is still off limits. It is called Pulau Bidong. There's already a claw and a bulldozer on Bidong Island but what I've heard is is that the island belongs to the Terengganu state museum. I have no idea what they have in mind for Bidong.

Perhaps I'm chucking dung into the fan blades but I still think we Malaysians are destroying our own treasures.

 

[wahlaoeh]

Thanks huisen. Heard the good news last Fri as well .. hope they will stick to their guns.

About the Malaysian government/ministry .. enough said!

 

[death_by_bloop]

Very, very glad to hear that the salvage plans were halted. Could the local government *really* not have understood the importance of the wreck to Malaysian tourism?

I dove Sugar Wreck and a number of other sites at the Perhentians three weeks ago. The wreck was, as has been said before, a beautiful dive, and I didn't see obvious signs of abuse at it or any of the other sites I dived (although I'm hardly an expert at recognizing it this early in my diving "career"). I did come across a bit of refuse while snorkeling (plastic bottles, cans, and scraps, mostly), and noticed quite a few plastic 1-liter water bottles floating at the surface during one sea taxi trip.

As for resorts springing up left and right: I stayed on Besar, which seemed the nicer of the two islands. Besar had a handful of resorts/chalets, restaurants, dive shops, and vacationing families; Kecil was full of garish permanently-planted beach umbrellas, partying young backpackers, and loud dance music along the waterfront from sundown till late. To each his own, but I'll stay on Besar, thanks, and the kids had better not be littering or damaging the dive sites.