‘Lost World’ has potential: Maliau Basin for World Heritage site

The Star 21 Dec 09;

KOTA KINABALU: An intensive effort is underway to assess to see if Sabah’s “Lost World” has what it takes to be a World Heritage Site.

State Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Masidi Manjun has directed officers to do a thorough study on the world renowned Maliau Basin, rich in bio-diversity and popularly dubbed as “The Lost World” of Sabah.

“I hope to get this done in three months before bringing it up as a proposal to the Cabinet,” Masidi said yesterday.

The 390 sq km basin forms part of Yayasan Sabah’s timber concession area but was designated as a conservation area in 1981 for the purposes of rainforest education, research and training.

It remains Borneo Island’s untouched rainforest that is rich in flora and fauna, including over 1,800 species of pitcher plants and at least 80 kinds of orchids.

“Maliau Basin is not only unique but is famous worldwide as a centre for research,” said Masidi.

“Today, there are many scholars and researchers conducting their studies at the site and I believe that we must work hard in getting it listed as a World Heritage Site.”

Environmentalists, uneasy over the proposed 300MW coal-fired power plant in Sabah’s east coast district of Lahad Datu, have raised concerns that Maliau Basin might be a target of mining for coal if the facility materialises.

The state government has repeatedly stressed that Maliau Basin would not be touched and will remain a conservation area.