Sabah should prioritise road safety after recent fatal accidents, says Terence Au

KOTA KINABALU: To prevent hazards to road users, Sabah must prioritise road safety and speed up road maintenance and repair works, says a Warisan chief.

Terence Au said the recent fatal accident involving a Singaporean man and a Vietnamese woman along the Semporna – Tawau road is concerning and a sorrowful incident.

Acknowledging State Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Christina Liew’s intention to explore ways to enhance road safety with the authorities, Au said there is a delay in addressing these issues.

“A similar accident occurred on the same route last November, resulting in the loss of a Chinese tourist’s life,” said Au.

He said the delay is concerning because the Semporna–Tawau route serves as an access road for those heading to the Tawau airport.

“We urge the government to prioritise the implementation of concrete solutions to ensure the safety of all who travel on Sabah’s roads,” he added.

He then said that Sabah road conditions are notorious and added that many foreign tourists have given negative reviews online.

“Do not wait until these European countries issue another travel advisory on Sabah for having dangerous roads before acting,” said Au.

In the accident on Monday (March 13), two were killed and five others were also injured after the tour van they were travelling in collided with a trailer at about 3.30pm.

Sabah Fire and Rescue Department operations centre officer Riki Mohan Singh Ramday said the dead were identified as Singaporean Lee Siong Huat, 60, and Vietnam national Ngo Trinh Buu Dung, 40.

An 11-year-old girl from Singapore and three men, including the 42-year-old tour van driver, were among those seriously injured.

Semporna police chief Supt Mohd Farhan Lee Abdullah said a 29-year-old lorry driver was subsequently arrested to assist in investigations.

This was not the first fatal accident involving foreign nationals at the same stretch recently.

Last November, a 56-year-old Chinese tourist was killed following a collision between a tour bus and a lorry.

Fourteen other bus passengers, all from China, aged between 30 and 60, escaped unhurt.