SEMPORNA, a coastal district in Sabah, serves as the gateway to popular islands like Sipadan and Mabul, drawing thousands of tourists annually.
Its growing popularity, however, has brought challenges such as overcrowding and waste management issues.
A TikTok by English travel vlogger Backpacker Ben (@backpacker_ben) has gone viral after he described Semporna, Sabah, as one of the “top 5 dirtiest places” he has ever visited.
The one-minute clip, captioned “Asia’s Dirtiest town!”, shows Ben walking by a trash-strewn jetty.
“If only you can smell what I’m smelling. It’s exactly how you can imagine.
“Oh man, what a place. Top 5 dirtiest place I’ve ever been,“ he says.
Clearly unsettled, he adds: “Do you know what’s funny? Myself and Cat [his partner] have been walking around with this empty bottle for about an hour now ’cause we can’t litter. We just can’t do it — but I mean, is there much point? Just leave it on the floor like everyone else?”
The video has sparked a wave of reactions from the netizens, with many admitting the vlogger was not wrong.
One user, @tambunan.athletic, commented: “I am a Sabahan and had the opportunity to do my teaching practical there in 2009. Believe me, even though I hate to admit it, I agree — Semporna is the dirtiest district in Malaysia and maybe in Asia.”
Another, @slplys_, wrote: “It was clean there before, since visitors came everything has changed.”
Some pointed to deeper issues. @miumiu900 said: “There are too many undocumented immigrants there. Most of them are from neighbouring countries.”
Others, like @budu000, simply said: “Good that you expose this.”
The clip has reignited debate about waste management and overcrowding in Semporna, a popular gateway for tourists heading to the islands off Sabah’s east coast.
