Largest coral fragment planting to enter Malaysia Book of Records
KOTA KINABALU (May 17): The ongoing largest coral fragment planting event in Malaysia at Simpang Mengayau within the Tun Mustapha Park (TTM) in Kudat is making its way into the Malaysia Book of Records (MBR).
This mammoth endeavour involves tying a total of 12,000 coral fragments to 1,000 metal frames, transporting and installing them at a site about two kilometres from the Tip of Borneo close to Pulau Kalampunian. About 60 divers and 250 non-divers (participants) are engaged in the planting project, apart from five shuttler boats to deliver the frames from the coral tying site on land to the deployment site (Tip of Borneo).
Today (Sunday), three divers from the MBR, together with divers from the Sabah Parks (TTS) which initiated this planting programme, will inspect and certify the designated coral planting sites on the seafloor at TTM.
On Monday (May 19), TTS will receive the Certificate of Recognition from a MBR representative at the launching ceremony in Kudat.
Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Seri Christina Liew is expected to launch the event with the theme 'Unite for Oceans' in conjunction with the ninth anniversary of the gazettement of TTM at Dewan Tun Mustapha Kudat on May 19.
'Kudos to the director and team of Sabah Parks for implementing a major coral restoration initiative. I am proud that Tun Mustapha Park is making history by hosting the Largest Coral Fragment Planting Event ever recorded in Malaysia.
'This is a potential tourism product for Kudat which is already famous for its picturesque Tanjung Simpang Mengayau (Tip of Borneo),' she said.
Director of the Board of Trustees of Sabah Parks (TTS), Dr Maklarin Lakim, who led a delegation to pay a courtesy call on Liew yesterday, briefed her on the planting exercise.
'The main objectives of this programme are to rehabilitate the damaged coral reef in a selected area within Taman Tun Mustapha (TTM) in Kudat, and to involve the local community in efforts to conserve the marine ecosystem,' he said.
According to him, this ambitious marine restoration initiative was carried out over two weeks, mobilising hundreds of participants, including certified divers, non-divers, local communities, and various stakeholders.
Dr Maklarin said TTS implemented the programme by adopting the Mars Assisted Reef Restoration System (MARRS). This system entails nine processes, namely coral habitat assessment, building of frames (or Reef Stars), coral collection, coral fragmenting, tying of coral gragments to each frame, shuttling or transportation of frames to site (or Reef Stars), Reef Star deployment (or installation of frames), arrangement of the Reef Stars to form a beehive web on the seabed, and maintenance and monitoring.
There are 12 free diver shuttlers at the deployment site to deliver the frames from the surface of the sea to the seafloor; eight builder divers to securely install the frames at designated sites on the seafloor at Tun Mustapha Park (TTM); 30 support divers assist the builder divers in placing the frames on the seafloor to ensure the smooth operation of coral planting activities; and four rescue divers to ensure the safety of all dive participants.
Also present at the courtesy call were TTS Senior Principal Assistant Director Fazrullah Rizally Haji Abdul Razak, Principal Assistant Director Ak Mohd Rodzan Pg Dahlan, Assistant Director Norhaslam Adin, and TTM Park Officer Ivycleire Edward.
Chronology : . May 5-12 : Preparation of coral frames (Reef Stars) took place at Kg Tajau Laut, Kudat, involving a three-layer process using anti-rust, resin and sand. . May 13 : Coral collection of more than 20 species from TTM began and continued until May 14. As per protocol, only 10 per cent of each coral colony was harvested. . May 13-14 : The coral frames (Reef Stars) were transported from Kg Tajau Laut to the Tip of Borneo. . May 15-18 : Coral fragmenting took place. The coral fragments were tied to the frames (12 fragments per frame, totalling 12,000 fragments) at the beach of Simpang Mengayau. The frames were then shuttled from the beach to the coral deployment site and successfully deployed near Kalampunian Island.
. May 16 : A total of 723 Reef Stars out of 1,000 Reef Stars (or coral frames) had been successfully deployed to the installation site close to Pulau Kalampunian.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Borneo Post
2 days ago
- Borneo Post
Patriotic flag mission reaches new heights at Mount Kinabalu
KMJG participants taking a photo with Mount Kinabalu in the background. – Information Department photo KUNDASANG (Aug 19): The Kembara Merdeka Jalur Gemilang (KMJG) in collaboration with Sabah Parks made history by planting the Jalur Gemilang (Malaysian flag) and the Sabah flag at the peak of Mount Kinabalu. Sabah Information Director Jainisah Mohd Noor said the event aimed to further invigorate the National Month celebrations in Sabah this year. 'This morning, KMJG made history once again by presenting the Jalur Gemilang and the Sabah flag to mountain guides to be carried and planted at the Peak of Mount Kinabalu. 'We carried this out in collaboration with Sabah Parks to manifest the national spirit and as one of our ways to enliven this year's National Month celebration in Sabah,' she stated during the handover of the Jalur Gemilang and Sabah flag to mountain guides at Kinabalu Park on Tuesday. A total of 35 mountain guides were involved in carrying the Jalur Gemilang and Sabah flag to be planted at the peak of Mount Kinabalu. According to Jainisah, special edition KMJG postcards were also mailed via the Panalaban post box. 'Alongside that, we also mailed special KMJG postcards via the highest postbox in Malaysia, located at Panalaban. This will also be facilitated by the mountain guides as our strategic partners. 'We hope this fervent spirit of celebrating National Day will remain steadfast and strong like Mount Kinabalu,' she explained. Jainisah, who is also the KMJG convoy leader, did not rule out the possibility that convoy participants themselves would one day plant the Jalur Gemilang at Kinabalu Peak. 'We will try. This year we certainly don't have time, but next year if we have the opportunity, can collaborate again with Sabah Parks or any other department or agency, including private companies, to climb Mount Kinabalu together. 'We ourselves will plant the Jalur Gemilang and Sabah flags, and perhaps we will also send special postcards once again to local leaders and top management. 'That would also later serve as proof that the convoy itself has conquered Mount Kinabalu, symbolizing our spirit, our patriotism, and our love for our country,' she said.
Barnama
14-08-2025
- Barnama
SKPP 8(2) Special Education Students Set Record With Giant Hand-stamped Jalur Gemilang
PUTRAJAYA, Aug 14 (Bernama) -- Special education students from Sekolah Kebangsaan Putrajaya Presint 8(2) have etched their names in the Malaysia Book of Records (MBR) after creating the country's largest hand-stamped Jalur Gemilang artwork. The 8.13-metre-wide and 3.56-metre-high piece was completed over two weeks by 120 students from the school's Special Education Integration Programme (PPKI), with support from 27 special education teachers and administrators. Headmistress Zamzuriah Md Desa said the initiative aimed to celebrate the creativity of students with special needs while instilling a strong sense of patriotism.
The Star
12-08-2025
- The Star
Amp up efforts to protect Sabah's critically endangered banteng, says Liew
KOTA KINABALU: More efforts must be taken to protect Sabah's critically endangered banteng (wild buffalo) with illegal hunting and snare traps continuing to be major threats. The state Tourism, Culture and Environment minister Datuk Seri Christina Liew said though collaborative efforts were being made to protect the estimated 325 remaining bantengs, the threat remains. 'We must continue to work harder together to protect the bantengs,' she said at Sabah's first Banteng Day Celebration in Tungku Lahad Datu. The ministry's Deputy Permanent Secretary Mary Malangking delivered her speech in the Aug 9 event. During her speech, Liew announced Sabah's participation in the Global Wildlife Program Malaysia and reaffirmed the state government's commitment through initiatives such as habitat restoration, population monitoring, and enforcement operations. Led by the Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Ministry in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) with USD$1.5mil (RM6.34mil) from 2025 to 2028, the project focuses on conserving the banteng and its habitat in the Greater Maliau Basin. It will include regular population monitoring, enhanced patrol and remote sensing capabilities, and community-based conservation and sustainable livelihood programmes in the Greater Maliau Basin–Sapulut area. The Ministry also expressed its intention to nominate Banteng Day to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) for international recognition, with this year's celebration laying the groundwork for that effort. Sabah Wildlife Department Director Mohd Soffian Abu Bakar said the banteng is a lesser known but ecologically vital species, and raising public awareness about its conservation was crucial. He expressed appreciation to all parties involved, especially WWF-Malaysia, the Lahad Datu and Tungku District Offices, and the many contributors who ensured the success of the celebration. Head of Conservation for World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Malaysia (Sabah) Dr Robecca Jumin said the Bornean banteng is a symbol of Sabah's rich biodiversity, and its protection requires strong collaboration between government, communities, and conservation partners. During the event, a wide range of stakeholders including government agencies, local communities, conservation partners, and sponsors, were brought together in a united effort to protect the critically endangered Bornean banteng (Bos javanicus lowi). A key moment of the event was the launch of two important conservation documents - the Mid-Term Review of the Sabah Banteng Conservation Action Plan and a research and monitoring manual titled 'Identification, Age Classification and Profiling Methods'. The mid-term review offers updated guidance to enhance conservation strategies and address emerging threats to the species while the manual provides essential tools for field monitoring and species profiling, supporting more effective data collection and analysis in the wild.
