Sabah’s forest guardians are expressing concerns about the plan for the Pan Borneo Highway to traverse the biodiversity-rich Tawai Forest Reserve in central Sabah’s Telupid area. State chief conservator of forests Datuk Frederick Kugan stated that these concerns have been communicated to the project authorities. However, if it becomes unavoidable, he stressed the need to implement mitigation measures to limit the impact. He mentioned, “We (feel) it is best to avoid the forest reserve,” in response to queries about the position of his department on the road cutting through Tawai.
The Sabah government is expected to reach a decision soon on whether to proceed with the planned route or opt for an alternative one that bypasses the reserve. Deputy Chief Minister III Datuk Shahelmey Yahya conveyed that the decision will be made “very soon.” He explained, “There is one new alignment designed and agreed on earlier that goes through the forest reserve. Then later, a different alignment was proposed with an option to avoid the forest reserve, but it would be costlier. This is what we need to consider and decide upon,” he shared on October 22nd.
Conservationists have been urging the government to choose an alternative route for the 30km Telupid stretch of the highway to minimize disruption to the Bornean elephant range and conserve other iconic wildlife, including the orangutan. They expressed concerns regarding the potential escalation of human-wildlife conflicts if a road is constructed through the forest. Additionally, the forest is at risk of fires during dry spells due to its geological conditions.
Conservationists have identified two alternative routes as options for the government to consider, which they assert will not incur excessive costs.
