Turning the tide in Semporna
SEMPORNA: In the resort island of Mabul, tourists come and go but the trash stays.
Located off Sabah's east coast, Mabul is famed for its marine biodiversity and proximity to Sipadan Island, drawing divers from around the world.
But behind the postcard-perfect scenery lies a village of about 3,800 residents, many lacking access to basic infrastructure, including waste collection.
Semporna, the coastal town that serves as a gateway to Mabul and other islands, has seen booming tourism.
Yet its island communities remain sidelined from development plans.
For years, waste disposal on Mabul meant dumping into the sea.
But Adzmin Fatta, a 32-year-old local environmentalist, knew it didn't have to stay that way.
Adzmin Fatta giving a talk on marine pollution and waste awareness to school students in Semporna as part of Reef Check Malaysia's community education outreach.
Adzmin, born and raised in Semporna, is the community coordinator for Reef Check Malaysia and co-founder of Green Semporna.
He has spent over a decade working on coral conservation and grassroots environmental work.
The fifth of seven siblings lost his father at five.
He didn't grow up speaking fluent English but picked it up after school through sheer determination.
His journey into environmental work began when he won a public speaking competition during STPM and was immediately offered a job with WWF.
'That was the start of everything,' he said in an interview.
Today, Adzmin works directly with villagers on waste management and conservation, focusing mainly on community ownership.
'People often blame the community for the trash but they forget how isolated these islands are.
'It's not that they don't care. They just don't have the system we have in urban areas.
'People keep talking about spreading awareness but they are aware. They just don't have a choice,' he said.
In 2023, after national attention on Mabul's worsening waste problem, Adzmin was appointed to the Semporna district's technical committee.
Instead of top-down solutions, he mobilised residents to form a cleanliness committee.
Within six months, over 70 tonnes of waste were collected and transported to the mainland.
'It showed that if you give the community the chance and support, they'll rise to it.'
Before Mabul, Adzmin led waste management systems on other islands.
On Mantanani Islands, his team works with 140 households, preventing over 145,000kg of waste from polluting the ocean since 2018.
A scorecard system rewarded 47 households with 'Excellence Certificates' in 2022.
Similar programmes followed in Larapan (2022–2024) and Selakan (2024–ongoing) in Semporna, each adapted to local needs.
'These aren't flashy projects. They rely on long-term trust,' he said.
Now, he's training young leaders to take over community projects, so he can support new areas.
'You don't need to be perfect. You just need to care and be consistent. That's how change starts.'
Still, Adzmin admits the work is tough.
'If I had a choice, I'd just eat, sleep and heal.
'But seeing the community's commitment keeps me going.'
He believes waste systems aren't just about hygiene. They are key to fighting marine pollution and biodiversity loss.
'The cost of biodiversity loss is far greater than the cost of basic waste systems. We all have a stake in this.'
Meanwhile, the Star Golden Hearts Award (SGHA) returns for the 11th edition to honour everyday Malaysians whose compassion and selflessness have made a lasting impact on others.
With McDonald's Malaysia as the new strategic partner, SGHA is poised to broaden its reach and deepen its impact nationwide.
This year also marks the debut of the McDonald's Caring Hearts Award – a special recognition honouring individuals or grassroots groups whose heartfelt acts of kindness have uplifted lives in profound and lasting ways.
Since its inception in 2015, SGHA has honoured over 100 individuals and organisations whose efforts have inspired action, transformed lives and strengthened communities nationwide.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


New Straits Times
5 hours ago
- New Straits Times
Boy, 6, sets record for identifying 65 foreign currencies in 1 minute
SEREMBAN: At just six years old, D. Devakshean made history by identifying 65 international currencies in a single minute — a feat that showcased his extraordinary talent. Thanks to this unique skill, his name has been recognised by the Malaysia Book of Records (MBR) for the achievement of 'Most Foreign Currencies Identified by a Child in One Minute'. His mother, G. Devamalar, 37, from Negri Sembilan, said her son began showing interest in national flags when he was just one year old, and could already accurately identify and name the Malaysian flag. "From an early age, we could see his extraordinary abilities. "When we showed him pictures or flags, he remembered them quickly. So, from there, we started training him, and at the age of two, he set a record by identifying over 200 countries and cities. "His memory is truly exceptional—whatever we show him, he can remember. Not only flags and currency values but much more—he picks things up quickly," she told reporters after a certificate of recognition was presented by MBR representative V. Menaga to Devakshean here today. Devamalar said she and her husband, A. Devakumaran, 41, have always supported their only child's interests and development. She also said it took about a month of preparation to train Devakshean before applying for MBR recognition this year. "My son loves watching YouTube. So, we uploaded content such as lists of foreign currencies and the like to YouTube, and he learned on his own through that platform. "He rarely plays—he enjoys reading books and learning on his own. That's just his nature. We've never forced him—it's his passion," she said. Devamalar also hoped her son's extraordinary achievement would open doors to more opportunities, including possibly entering the Guinness World Records, and uncovering other potential areas that could be nurtured in the future. "Not many people know him yet. I hope that through media coverage, more people will learn about him and he will have opportunities to go further," she said. Meanwhile, Devakshean, who was born on Sept 10, 2019, said he loves the Malaysian flag as well as Mathematics, English, and Science, and aspires to become a firefighter. – BERNAMA


The Sun
8 hours ago
- The Sun
Six-year-old boy sets MBR record by identifying 65 currencies in a minute
SEREMBAN: A six-year-old boy, D. Devakshean, has made history by identifying 65 different currencies from around the world in just one minute, earning him a place in the Malaysia Book of Records (MBR). His achievement, recognised as 'Most Foreign Currencies Identified by a Child in One Minute,' highlights his extraordinary memory and learning abilities. Devakshean's mother, G. Devamalar, 37, shared that his fascination with national flags began when he was just one year old. By the age of two, he could already name over 200 countries and cities. 'His memory is exceptional—whatever we show him, he remembers. Not just flags and currencies, but many other things too,' she said after the MBR certificate presentation by representative V. Menaga. The young prodigy's parents have nurtured his interests without pressure. 'He loves watching educational content on YouTube, where he learns independently. He prefers reading and learning over playing—it's his passion,' Devamalar explained. The family spent a month preparing before applying for MBR recognition this year. Devakshean, born on September 10, 2019, enjoys Mathematics, English, and Science and dreams of becoming a firefighter. His mother hopes his achievement will lead to more opportunities, including potential recognition by the Guinness World Records. 'We want more people to know about his talents so he can explore further,' she said. – Bernama


New Straits Times
18 hours ago
- New Straits Times
MONEY THOUGHTS: Wise and unwise delays
THE English poet Edward Young (1683-1765) penned these words in an almost 10,000-line poem Night-Thoughts, which he toiled on between 1742 and 1745: "Procrastination is the thief of time." Almost every serious student of the English language has come across Young's famous line, which is now a standalone adage for the life lesson that it's better to do important things straightaway than to delay acting on them. Why? Well, once we fritter away time, we can't get it back. How we manage our time — over the short-term, medium-term, and long-term — determines how our lives turn out. And speaking of life and time, I've been blessed with the singular opportunity to write this weekly Money Thoughts column for you in the New Sunday Times for a tad over 10 years now. With very, very few exceptions over the decade due to a rare shortage of available pages because of news-heavy developments or major public holidays that stopped the presses, from mid-2015 till today, it's been my privilege to regularly write for you. This column you're reading now in the physical NST 's Sunday Vibes section or online is my 500th. This half-a-thousand writing milestone is one I'm ecstatic about. And that's why I want to outline here for you four tension-laden lessons that are pertinent to personal success and accomplishment. They focus on procrastination and our predisposition to delay action: 1. Procrastination is usually bad; 2. Procrastinating is sometimes good; 3. Delays usually leave us worse off; 4. Yet delaying can sometimes be incredibly wise. ELABORATION 1. Procrastination is usually bad Four years after the poet Young completed his magnum opus, Night-Thoughts, the English writer, statesman and politician Philip Dormer Stanhope, the fourth Earl of Chesterfield, wrote this in a letter to his son: "Know the true value of time; snatch, seize, and enjoy every moment of it. No idleness, no laziness, no procrastination; never put off till tomorrow what you can do today." In our present work environment, the evaporation of millions of jobs caused by the intersection of artificial intelligence (AI type 1) and robotics is building momentum. As such, we must work harder and smarter than those around us to keep our jobs or grow our businesses. Part of the secret sauce that enables us to do more than others is NOT procrastinating. 2. Procrastinating is sometimes good Nonetheless, we must recognise that NOT everything which lands on our laps is worth doing. So, think about which tasks and activities you carry out at home and at work that are pointless. If you're like most people, me included, you'll be able to identify some of those lower posteriorities which should be dropped off your daily and weekly to-do lists to create "space" (and literal "time") in your calendar for vital higher priorities. As you eliminate some posteriorities, you'll give yourself permission to permanently procrastinate on things you should not be doing because they are not aligned with whatever you deem vital. 3. Delays usually leave us worse off Note: Even as we tread the fine line between avoiding and embracing Young's "thief of time", we should acknowledge the many times accepting delays in our lives turns out for the worse. Consider what occurs when we delay starting (and finishing) projects vital for career advancement, or avoid visiting the dentist for regular dental checkups or the doctor for annual physicals, or delay servicing our cars because we're too busy to find time for what Stephen Covey describes as "sharpening the saw" activities which aren't urgent yet are crucially important. All such delays land us in trouble and cause us to end up in worse shape than if we'd simply completed those important tasks at their right times. As another well-known English adage tells us: A stitch in time saves nine. 4. Yet delaying can sometimes be incredibly wise Finally, though, here are two special instances of beneficial delays: One of the key principles of personal financial success is delayed gratification. It always involves sacrifice, and often necessitates giving up something good for the potential payoff of something great down the road. Think about the wisdom of opting to buy a, shall we say, too-affordable car or smaller than warranted home so as to have more money to save and invest for the future — to augment our retirement nest egg. Another example of a wise delay is choosing to accept contract employment beyond the official retirement age — which is currently 60 in Malaysia — to be able to continue earning money for a longer period. Those who stay gainfully employed for longer enjoy two phenomenal linked benefits: a. They elevate their lifetime earnings, specifically their active income (AI type 2), which enriches themselves and their families, while elevating their lifestyles; and b. They shorten their non-earning years (or decades) in retirement, which markedly reduces the possibility they will run out of money in old age. Take time to decide if and when it would be wise to shun procrastination and delays, and when you should proactively embrace those same tendencies to intentionally improve your lot in life. © 2025 Rajen Devadason