Tour operators, diving centres must prioritise safety, says Lee Lam Thye

SHAH ALAM - Diving centres, instructors or tour operators must enact better safety measures for their patrons to mitigate potential risks or any untoward situations, said an occupational safety advocate following the unfortunate death of a teen Dutch diver off the coast of Johor recently.

Speaking to Sinar Daily, Alliance for Safe Community chairman Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye said diving centres or tour operators must employ skilled diving instructors and guides to cater for clients who may lack the necessary knowledge.

"The tour operator who brought the foreigners out for a dive is not doing a good job. They need to be accompanied by a master diver and locals who know about the local condition since foreigners do not know about the geography of the place as to which part of the sea is dangerous and such,” he told Sinar Daily.

Lee was commenting on the tragic news of Dutch teenage diver Nathen Renze Chesters, 14, who was presumed dead after he and three other divers went missing near Pulau Tokong Sanggol in Mersing, Johor, last Wednesday.

Nathan's father, Adrian Peter Chesters, 46, had told this to Malaysian authorities when he was rescued yesterday.

Adrian was found together with French woman Alexia Alexandra Molina, 18 while Norwegian diving coach Kristine Grodem, 35, was first to be found safe last Thursday.

While Lee understands that the tourism industry is eager to serve customers and work towards rebuilding their respective businesses again following the reopening of the national border, he cautioned them not to take the safety of their patrons for granted.

“This is especially the case when it comes to foreign tourists where tour operators are dependent on them to revive their business, but I think while we support them, they should not put aside the safety measures of their clients but instead they need to prioritize that,” he said.

Commenting further, Lee said age should not be a problem in learning how to dive as it can be classified as a hobby but advised that diving, which is classified as an extreme sport, should only be encouraged for those aged 18 and above.

“When it comes to diving, of course, we can teach young people to dive, but I think diving should only be encouraged for those age 18 and above as they are more mature.

“Diving is a matter of interest, many people in their 50s and 40s are interested in diving but young people at the age of 18 and above, who are ready and prepared to learn about the procedures as well as be trained to follow the SOPs, I think they are ready to dive.

“These are all the basic and fundamental things to follow,” he said.

Lee also advised those interested in picking up the sport to learn how to swim properly first as it will give them better control during their diving session and potentially save their own lives.

"I'm not a diver myself, but I know that the equipment is very heavy and it is important for them to know how to swim because it can help them when something goes wrong during the diving session.

“If something is wrong with the diving equipment when you are diving, then you will be in trouble but swimming can help you," he said.