Sabah is taking firm steps to strengthen environmental governance while sharpening its tourism strategy to focus on quality, compliance, and long-term sustainability. This implies a more structured, results-driven direction under the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Environment (KePKAS).
The Ministry’s vision is clear: to align responsible governance, cultural preservation, and tourism development into one cohesive framework that supports sustainable growth for the state.
This renewed direction builds on Sabah’s steady tourism recovery, its growing reputation for conservation leadership, and continued progress in asserting the State’s rights under the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63), particularly in matters concerning environmental oversight and management.
In a recent special address to ministry staff and department heads, Minister Datuk Jafry Ariffin made clear that past achievements are not an endpoint.
“These accomplishments must become the foundation for us to move further, not an excuse to slow down,” he said, setting the tone for a more disciplined phase of implementation across all agencies under the Ministry.
He urged departments to focus on measurable outcomes and institutional responsibility, stressing that delivery will define the Ministry’s next chapter.
To ensure the Ministry’s strategic vision translates into action, all agencies have been instructed to develop comprehensive five-year strategic plans aligned with the 13th Malaysia Plan and Sabah Maju Jaya (SMJ) 2.0. Programmes and projects will be evaluated based on measurable impact rather than activity alone.
This reinforces a results-oriented culture across the Ministry, ensuring initiatives deliver tangible benefits to the people of Sabah.
Looking ahead, SMJ 2.0 provides a strategic horizon for the next five years, with tourism forming one of its three core pillars alongside economic growth and social development.
Within this framework, tourism is not merely a revenue driver but a strategic lever for community empowerment, cultural preservation, and environmental stewardship.
A central component of this broader direction is strengthening Sabah’s autonomy in environmental management, particularly in relation to scheduled waste.
Jafry recently met Federal Minister of Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Datuk Seri Arthur Joseph Kurup in Kuala Lumpur to discuss the implementation of Article 95C of the Federal Constitution, which governs scheduled waste management in Sabah.
Full transfer of powers is targeted for November 2026 under an agreed transition framework, with Sabah required to meet nine readiness criteria, including robust technical infrastructure, a comprehensive online reporting system, enhanced manpower capacity, and effective enforcement mechanisms.
“This is about strengthening Sabah’s rights in a responsible manner. Authority must go hand in hand with capability,” Jafry said, highlighting that environmental control must be matched by institutional preparedness.
Greater autonomy will allow the state to tailor enforcement to local realities, particularly in sectors closely linked to tourism and industrial activity.
Preparations for Visit Sabah 2027 are being streamlined under this structured framework, with tourism assets, parks, museums, and cultural products aligned to ensure infrastructure readiness, coherent branding, and a consistent visitor experience.
Efforts to expand direct flight connectivity and deepen collaboration with domestic and international airlines form part of a broader push to improve accessibility. These efforts are complemented by data-driven marketing strategies targeting eco-tourists, bird watchers, edu-tourism groups, and premium travellers.
The Ministry is also steering Sabah’s tourism model towards higher-value segments. Rather than prioritising visitor numbers alone, emphasis is placed on travellers who generate stronger economic returns while respecting environmental and cultural sensitivities.
“This approach ensures tourism benefits are more widely distributed, particularly to small and medium entrepreneurs, rural communities, and cultural practitioners, without placing undue strain on natural ecosystems,” Jafry said.
At the same time, KePKAS has intensified scrutiny of compliance gaps within the tourism industry, especially in high-density destinations such as Semporna.
A recent task force meeting chaired by the Minister at the Semporna District Council revealed that of the identified tourism premises, only a small portion currently hold valid licences. Several are in the process of securing the necessary approvals, while a significant number remain non-compliant or face operational challenges. Key concerns include the absence of Certificates of Completion and Compliance (CCC), Occupancy Certificates (OC), as well as unresolved land status issues.
In response, the Ministry is working closely with the relevant local authorities to ensure full compliance with all licensing and permit requirements, as part of our commitment to upholding established standard operating procedures. This includes strengthening coordination, enhancing monitoring mechanisms, and providing guidance to operators to facilitate compliance in order to safeguard public interest, safety, and service standards.
Allowing standards to slip, the Minister warned, would ultimately undermine visitor safety and Sabah’s reputation as a sustainable destination.
In addition, training opportunities for the industry continue to be identified and provided. Through the Sabah Tourism Board, tourism associations have been given the opportunity to participate in various training programmes covering topics such as photography and editing, safety and health awareness in the tourism sector, tourism package development, pricing strategies, digital marketing, as well as friendly service and creative storytelling techniques for the rural tourism sector.
In 2025, tour guides were also offered the opportunity to undertake Emergency Response Training, which is not only essential for safety but also contributes to the Continuing Tourism Related Education (CTRE) credits required for the renewal of their guiding licences.
More training initiatives are already in motion for 2026, beginning with Frontliner Service Training scheduled to roll out from the second quarter onwards.
Parallel to enforcement and upskilling measures, the Ministry is working with local authorities and industry players to address waste management challenges in Semporna and other tourism hotspots. Cleanliness and operational compliance are central to visitor confidence, economic competitiveness, and long-term sustainability.
Sabah Parks and wildlife agencies continue to anchor the state’s conservation leadership, with greater emphasis placed on research-based management, data collection, and inter-agency coordination to ensure protected areas remain environmentally sound while supporting responsible eco-tourism.
Cultural preservation remains equally central, with community engagement and youth participation aimed at ensuring Sabah’s heritage is actively promoted and sustainably managed.
Digital transformation also forms a core component of KePKAS’s strategy. Official websites and social media platforms are being upgraded to ensure accurate, timely, and coherent communication. These platforms are now strategic instruments influencing public perception, investor confidence, and institutional credibility — positioning digitalisation as a governance imperative rather than a discretionary enhancement.
“Every position in this Ministry is an ‘amanah’… There will be no compromise when it comes to responsibility and accountability,” Jafry reminded staff, reinforcing a zero-tolerance approach to misconduct and underscoring the importance of professionalism.
Ultimately, the direction taken by KePKAS points to a more structured model of development where environmental authority, tourism growth, digital governance, and institutional integrity support one another rather than operate in isolation.
As Sabah moves towards full environmental authority in 2026 and steps up preparations for Visit Sabah 2027, the approach sends a clear message that development must be sustainable, enforcement credible, and integrity guide every level of action.
Over this five-year horizon, Sabah is expected to model a disciplined, sustainable, and inclusive growth path, where natural beauty, cultural richness, and institutional integrity reinforce one another to secure long-term prosperity for its people.
