Why the excessive delay in lodgement of Police Report on missing Catamaran?

Why the excessive delay in lodgement of Police Report on missing Catamaran?

Is this very tall message in front page that Daily Express told us the “lessons not learnt” following the second disaster with the same type of boat Catamaran in the west coast of Sabah on 24 June 2016 and again on 28 January, 2017, and yet again it might happen again in Sabah?

Who have not learnt the lessons of this kind of disasters in Sabah?  There are many elements or ingredients in such disasters in the transportation sectors especially thousands had died on the roads for decades without any decline of deaths in recent years.

Have the Governments (State and Federal), the ministries concerned, the ships owners, the ship operators, the tour operators, the general public and travelling tourists learnt anything at all from such disasters to be repeated soon?

There would appear to be some key factors in the latest disaster just waiting to occur especially on an auspicious first day of the year of the cock in the Chinese calendar?

The questions would never likely to be answered are 1.  Why unauthorised Tanjung Aru jetty was used where there were no supervision of passengers boarding the boat? Maybe if at Jesselton point jetty, the observation of over loading could be detected to avoid this disaster. 2. Going by the file picture of the boat Catamaran, it is obvious that the passenger load cannot be more than twenty to be comfortable and yet thirty passengers including three crews went on board risking their lives.  One skipper in the same route that morning noticed the very slow boat in the sea and likely over loading was the cause of that and not the rough sea or strong wind as reported in the press. 3. Is the catamaran properly licensed and commissioned to be sea worthy with qualified skipper who at 25 appears to be too young for such position and adequate equipment in case of emergency such as survival kits and alarm communication equipment.  In the case of overloading some passengers would not have safety life jackets to go round. 4.  Why was a Police Report only made after 12 hours had lapsed of the disaster when it was a day trip before the late evening is out and the Police Report was made at 9.45pm? The delay was great disadvantage to search and rescue effort.  5.  30 persons were on board with 30 and more hand phones and yet no effort was made to contact the mainland people for SOS, and why even on first day of Chinese New Year?

The response from as far as China with the President Xi and our Prime Minister and others including Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye appear to be prompt despite Chinese New Year. Would such prompt responses be followed up with good development on the operation of this transportation sector? Could these people heard the important news in the Ai Fm Chinese that the Police was saying that the missing boat could be a “piracy / kidnap” factor like so much so in the Esszone.  This was conveyed to me by my wife who heard the very disturbing news on Sunday. 

If that news is true, then Sabah would lose its important sector in tourism in both east and west coast and how can the nation address the hazards in the once very “prosperous”  tourism sector? 

We should very much appreciate that tourists from China are coming back post MH370 and other kidnappings threats/events in the Esszone.  They are not spending money in vain to perish in Sabah.

What now improvements to ensure safety for all in Sabah be it in east and west of Sabah?  We need to set up a 24/7 communication/ alert/ emergency/ complaints/ compliance centres properly and adequately manned in Kota Kinabalu, Sandakan, Tawau, Lahad Datu, Labuan for languages disadvantages although many Chinese people from China can converse in good English now. More assets in search and rescue operations in such circumstances be made available like fast boats such as “sea ambulances” rather than to observe that sick victims are brought back from Labuan slowly in a fishing trawler.  Why were the reporters not allowed to get nearer to the victims who could relate their ordeal?

Can we really learn from such disasters to be avoided by installing appropriate effective measures to ensure tourists and local are safer?

Is this a myth? My personal experience when I was ten in Labuan playing or just kicking some football with my neighbour native friends on an open field behind my home then on Chinese New Year first day against my mother urging not to do that but stay at home on the auspicious festive day.  Within a few minutes, I sprained my ankle badly and then injured for at least a week nursing my foot on a sick bed. I have learned a lesson since then of what activities to do and not to do that day. 

Some people may say that visiting islands on holidays are common irrespective the day, but is one incident this Chinese New Year spell enough of message for us to improve our tourism sector for the bread and butter of many in Sabah?

What can be the good reason for the delay on a public holiday in lodging Police Report for prompt search and rescue effort to mitigate suffering of victims including premature deaths?  The boat owner concerned should have continuous monitoring of the Catamaran in the open sea.

Joshua Y C Kong 1 Feb 2017.