KK & Sabah News-Flash

Regulations for Marine Resources Sustainability in Sabah

Owners of fishing vessels are being urged by the Sabah Fisheries Department to adhere to the regulations governing marine resources to ensure its sustainability.  The department’s director, Dr. Ahemad Sade said that licenses have been issued to 51 fishing vessels that permit them to fish more than 30 nautical miles away from the shoreline and they are expected to follow regulations, including the submission of fish landings reports.

As of now, the department does not have any records of vessels offloading their catch somewhere else.  Losses, if any, can be computed by research units like the Federal Fisheries Department or the United Nations’ Food and Agricultural Organization.  Prior reports said that the country has incurred losses of up to RM6 billion (about 980,000 tons of fisheries resources) because of illegal fishing of foreigners.

Ahemad also said that the department is making sure that the fishing vessels are equipped with monitoring devices and that foreign workers hired by the vessels have the proper documents and work permits.

The department has partnerships with other agencies on the enforcement of applicable laws and regulations.  Its deputy director on legislation and enforcement, Mohd Yusof Abdullah, said that they have four main bases in the state and joint operations are conducted every year.

Occupational Safety and Health for Competitiveness in BOSH 2017

The 5^th Borneo Occupational Safety and Health Conference and Exhibition (BOSH 2017) will be held in Kota Kinabalu on Monday with this year’s theme “Enhancing OSH for Business Competitiveness”.  The two-day conference will be attended by about five hundred people.  According to National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) chairman Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye, this is enough time for participants to exchange information on Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) that will enhance their business competitiveness and improve job performance through the reduction of accidents in the workplace.

There will be speakers during the conference and will talk on OSH topics, including the OSH Masterplan 2016-2020.  Service providers, manufacturers and suppliers of OSH related products will be at the designated exhibition area to showcase their products.

BOSH is a biennial conference that started in 2009 and is getting popular within the Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines’ East Asean Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA).

US Delegates Arrive in Sabah for Mobile Court System Study

The United States (US) sent seven delegates to Sabah to look into the mobile court system.  Specifically, they will have a work visit to Paitan, a remote area in Beluran.  Of the seven delegates, three are from the New York Police Department (NYPD) and one is an assistant special agent of Homeland Security Investigations at the New York City office.  The other delegates are a Federal Court Judge, a legal adviser of the US Embassy and a Regional Adviser for Cyber of the US Department of Justice.  They were welcomed by Judge Ravinthran N. Paramaguru at the Kota Kinabalu courthouse upon their arrival.

The group will proceed to Kampung Matanggal in Paitan, more than 230 km away from Kota Kinabalu where they will study the mobile court system in the state.  The mobile courts started in 2007 so that people in far-flung areas avail of legal services.  Mobile courts are makeshift offices where legal officers can certify documents and conduct hearings for minor cases.