KOTA KINABALU: The Sabah Land and Survey Department will issue a land title for the controversial oceanarium resort in Mabul only if all special conditions are complied with.

“If the public is worried, we are also worried,” said department director Datuk Osman Jamal in stressing that for the first time, numerous stringent conditions have been imposed for the project proposed by local company Bina Ecosaba Sdn Bhd.

He said that among the conditions were that the project should comply with environment regulations and be of low density.

All relevant departments including the Environment, Marine, Fisheries and Drainage and Irrigation would scrutinise the development plan before any green light was given for the project to begin, he said yesterday.

The Land Utilisation Committee recommended the land application by the company for the 33ha of Mabul in July last year and the state Cabinet approved it based on a letter from the state’s natural resources unit in August this year.

We issued the offer letter to the company on Sept 10, Osman said.

He said the tenure applied for was 99 years and the offer made was for 60 years in view of the huge investment of between RM120mil and RM150mil.

He was commenting on opposition to the proposed oceanarium resort by environmentalists, villagers and dive operators who fear that the project would bring disaster to Mabul marine life and degrade the corals of Sipadan.

On claims by local Bajau villagers that the state was allowing outsiders to rob them of their customary land, he said that among the conditions considered were a 30% equity in land or in the company to be allocated to natives.

He said reclamation work would not be allowed in the construction and a compensation clause has been included for damage to any property owned by the Government or under customary rights.

Osman said the proposal for the land application for the resort was to meet the needs of the high-end tourist market and make Mabul island a first-class tourist destination for the country.