KOTA KINABALU: New increased rates for Mount Kinabalu climbing, and entrance fees to sites under Sabah Parks, remain.

For an adult Malaysian climber, the previous permit fee was RM50, and RM200 for an adult international climber. Both have since increased by 100 per cent.

As for the entrance fee to the Kinabalu Park and Poring Hot Spring, it was RM3 per adult for locals, and RM15 per adult for international visitors. The current fee is now RM10 and RM50 per adult, respectively.

Sabah Parks announced the increment on Oct 26 last year and implemented it on Jan 1.

Last week, a delegation from Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) Sabah led by its chairman Lawrence Chin had raised the matter to Sabah Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Christina Liew.

However, Liew said her ministry had approved the formula after a meeting with the Sabah Parks director Dr Maklarin Lakim and his management team on Monday.

"We (had given) a three-month grace period from October to December last year prior to implementation of the new fees.

"For paid reservations before Jan 1, 2023, we will still adopt the old rate. This is because packages had already been sold before the announcement of the increase in fees on October 26, 2022.

"However, all packages sold after January 1st, 2023 will be based on the new rate," she said.

Last year, Maklarin had justified that the hike was made after the last revision about 20 years ago.

He had also said that as the day-to-day maintenance cost was getting higher, the collection based on previous rates could no longer cover the expensive conservation cost.

Sabah Parks has been relying on government subsidies to bear the conservation cost at 24 main points of interest under its care.

https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2023/02/875515/after-three-month-grace-period-new-rates-sabah-parks-site-stay