{
  "id": 17940793,
  "title": "Mount Kinabalu training centre faces calls to halt work over indigenous, environmental concerns",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/03/mount-kinabalu-training-centre-faces-calls-to-halt-work-over",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-11-03T09:29:37.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Malay Mail",
    "slug": "malay-mail",
    "url": "https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2026/11/03/mount-kinabalu-training-centre-faces-calls-to-halt-work-over-indigenous-environmental-concerns/241849"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "KOTA KINABALU, Nov 3 — Construction of a high-altitude training centre on Mount Kinabalu is facing scrutiny from indigenous groups and tourism stakeholders over its environmental impact, approvals and lack of consultation with communities with customary ties to the mountain. Controversy erupted after images of structures and drilling were posted online, prompting calls for authorities to clarify the project's nature and purpose. The project, which had previously been deferred due to an earthquake, was revived in 2025 and officially launched, aiming to provide accommodation and facilities to support mountaineering activities. The development's construction uses lightweight, prefabricated materials to minimize environmental disturbance, and the structures are designed to withstand strong winds at higher elevations. The project's approval from the Sabah Parks Board of Trustees and the Mount Kinabalu Native Customary Advisory Council has been challenged by the Dayak International Organisation (DIO), which calls for all construction activities to cease, citing violations of indigenous customary law protected under the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP).",
  "summary": "KOTA KINABALU, Nov 3 — The ongoing construction of a high-altitude training centre on Mount Kinabalu has come unde...",
  "key_points": [
    "High-altitude training centre faces scrutiny over environmental impact",
    "Indigenous groups and tourism stakeholders challenge project approvals",
    "Dayak International Organisation demands halt to construction"
  ],
  "editors_take": "The push to halt construction highlights a deepening conflict between state-led tourism infrastructure projects and the legal rights of indigenous communities to manage their ancestral lands.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}