23/04/2026

THURSDAY | APR 23, 2026

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Offshore plan sparks environmental alarm

M’sians rally to help families SANDAKAN: The spirit of unity and compassion

and 300 packs of bread to residents in the afternoon. The initiative continued later that same night, when they brought in 300 packs of cooked meals to ensure the residents did not go hungry. “Yesterday, we delivered more than 1,000 packs of bread and water to the village with the cooperation of several companies, including local restaurant operators.” Restoran Siang-Siang Sandakan also assisted by preparing meals directly at the disaster site under its corporate social responsibility initiative. A representative for the restaurant, Mohd Adhah Sariffudin, 28, said the decision to cook on-site was made as the families had lost their homes and had no cooking facilities. “This morning, we prepared breakfast consisting of fried noodles, eggs, sausages and hot drinks, bringing along 100kg of noodles and 40 trays of eggs to be cooked on-site,” he said, adding that different menus would be prepared for lunch and dinner. Meanwhile, a representative of a private company, Althomy Jul Tong, 49, was also at the location on behalf of his employer to hand over a contribution of 200 packets of rice as well as food baskets to help ease the burden of those affected. A check by Bernama also found various parties actively distributing clothing and essentials, while Sekong Parti Gabungan Rakyat Sabah has installed 10 temporary toilets for the residents.

among Malaysians across the South China Sea is evident, with support and assistance from Peninsular Malaysia continuing to pour in for individuals affected by the fire tragedy in Kampung Bahagia. Mohamad Kadir Abd Jalil, a representative of Kebajikan Marhaen Sandakan, said this concern is evident as many of his acquaintances from Peninsular Malaysia have stepped forward to contribute aid. “One of my contacts donated 30 tents for the residents who were severely affected. This reflects our spirit as Malaysians.” Last Sunday a major fire in the water village of Kampung Bahagia destroyed about 1,000 homes, affecting an area of more than four hectares. Mohamad Kadir said tents are urgently needed for those who have chosen not to stay at the temporary evacuation centres, opting instead to spend the night at the site of their destroyed homes. “They are sleeping on canvas under the open sky. Many members of the public are stepping forward to offer the necessary assistance.” Mohamad, or known as Wan among fellow NGO members, said his team has also been actively distributing food and drinks contributed by various parties since the first day of the incident. On the first day of the disaster, the NGO delivered 140 cartons of mineral water

Ű BY HARITH KAMAL newsdesk@thesundaily.com

o Exploration area near protected Sulu-Sulawesi waters could damage ocean ecosystems, threaten marine life and climate goals: NGOs

PETALING Environmental groups are warning that Malaysia’s latest offshore oil and gas exploration plan off Sabah could endanger some of Southeast Asia’s most fragile marine ecosystems and put regional climate commitments at risk. In a statement issued in conjunction with Earth Day yesterday, RimbaWatch and the Centre for Energy, Ecology and Development (CEED) raised concerns over Block SB304, a proposed oil and gas exploration area under Malaysia’s 2026 Malaysia Bid Round, located off Sandakan. They said the block overlaps or sits directly adjacent to internationally protected marine areas in the Sulu Sulawesi region. They include the Sugud Islands Marine Conservation Area and Turtle Island Park in Malaysia, as well as the Turtle Islands Wildlife Sanctuary in the Philippines. The areas form part of the wider Sulu-Sulawesi Marine ecoregion, one of the world’s richest marine biodiversity hotspots and a critical habitat for endangered green and hawksbill sea turtles, coral reefs, sharks and seagrass ecosystems. The groups warned that seismic surveys, drilling and production activities could trigger a cascade of environmental risks, from underwater noise that disrupts marine life to potential oil spills and long-term damage to seabed ecosystems. They said the threat is particularly JAYA: PETALING JAYA: Lufthansa’s move to shut its regional unit CityLine on April 19 is raising questions over whether rising costs could also pressure airlines in Malaysia. Aviation experts told theSun that the shutdown is less a sign of imminent collapse here than a warning that prolonged cost pressure could push up fares and cut flights. Aviation consultancy Endau Analytics founder Shukor Yusof said such closures generally point to a basic commercial problem. “It usually indicates the airline is unable to make money. One recent example is Jetstar Asia which exited Singapore in 2025 as it couldn’t sustain its business. “Continuously rising jet fuel leads to two things: raised fares, reduction in flights, staff suspension without pay and finally complete shutdown if working capital is exhausted.” he said. Shukor added that the cost squeeze would not affect all Malaysian carriers equally, as some are better positioned than others to absorb the impact. In a Bernama report on April 5, Malaysia Aviation Group (MAG) group chief executive officer Captain Nasaruddin A. Bakar said fuel costs had risen from 40% of operating expenses to 50%, while the group hedged 36% Ű BY FAIZ RUZMAN newsdesk@thesundaily.com

limiting global warming to 1.5°C. They also warned it could undermine Malaysia’s net-zero target by 2050. The statement added that governments have legal obligations to prevent foreseeable transboundary environmental harm, cautioning that approving high-risk projects in shared waters could raise international legal concerns. The groups are urging the Malaysian government to halt the awarding of Block SB304 and align energy planning with climate goals, while calling on Petronas to exclude marine protected areas from future exploration activities. They also called for stronger Malaysia-Philippines cooperation to establish buffer or exclusion zones for extractive industries and for Asean to reinforce regional commitments to biodiversity protection and climate action. “This is a critical moment for Southeast Asia. The region must choose between expanding fossil fuels or protecting the ecosystems that sustain its people “Protecting the Coral Triangle (one of the world’s richest marine biodiversity regions spanning parts of Southeast Asia and the western Pacific) is not optional. It is essential for our shared future,” the groups said.

severe for the turtle islands region, one of the most important nesting grounds for green sea turtles in Southeast Asia, where even a small spill could devastate hatchling survival rates and undermine decades of conservation work. “These are not ordinary waters. They are among the most biodiverse marine ecosystems in the world and sustain coastal communities across borders. “Allowing fossil fuel extraction in these areas puts both nature and livelihoods at unacceptable risk,” the groups said. They also raised concerns over cross-border impacts, noting that Malaysia and the Philippines jointly manage the Turtle Islands Heritage Protected Area, the world’s first transboundary marine turtle conservation site. Any environmental harm, they warned, could quickly spread beyond national boundaries. “Oil spills do not respect borders. A single incident could have devastating consequences for both Malaysian and Philippine waters,” the groups emphasised. On climate policy, the groups argued that expanding oil and gas exploration runs counter to global scientific consensus that no new fossil fuel developments are compatible with

Local airlines brace for higher operating costs

On April 6 at a media briefing, AirAsia X group CEO Bo Lingam said the group had not hedged fuel, saying that it lacked the financial flexibility to do so and that fuel prices had effectively doubled, with fares had been raised by between 30% and 40% as jet fuel prices climbed. Universiti Kuala Lumpur Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology economist Assoc Prof Major Dr Mohd Harridon Mohamed Suffian said Malaysia was not insulated from the same geopolitical and cost pressures affecting the global industry. He said the likelier impact here would come through pricing and network adjustments rather than an overnight shutdown. “There would be simultaneous negative repercussions upon airlines. Fares would be increased in accordance with the degree of increase of the risk premium attached to crude oil.” He said airlines were also likely to cut unprofitable routes and reduce frequencies where load factors no longer justified the cost. “Load factor plays an important role to the financial sustainability of the airlines. Low load value upon certain flights would render these flights unprofitable and it is sensible to eradicate these routes before the majority of the operational costs overwhelms the revenues.”

Shukor said rising fuel costs could push airlines to drop unprofitable routes and reduce flights. – ADAM AMIR HAMZAH/THESUN

“AirAsia is privately run and key to Malaysia’s tourism. Its balance sheet is currently weak. It needs help, because the country is divided by water so air connectivity is vital. “Petronas, MAHB and others have to do their parts to strengthen domestic aviation.”

within MAG that needed urgent attention, even as he said MAS itself was in its strongest financial position in the past 25 years. He added that AirAsia remained important to tourism and domestic connectivity, but its financial position was still under strain.

of fuel needs in the first quarter and 50% in the second. Fuel hedging refers to airlines locking in part of their fuel costs in advance to cushion against sudden price spikes. Against that backdrop, Shukor pointed to Firefly as a weak point