Protect Coral Reefs in Malaysia

Mantanani is a group of islands located in the South China Sea, off the west coast of Sabah in Malaysia. There are two villages on Mantanani Island – Kampung Siring Bukit and Kampung Padang, with a population of approximately 1,000 people. Fishing has traditionally been the main source of income and protein for villagers.

Having worked there since 2012, Reef Check Malaysia (RCM) has identified a few issues on the island. In the last decade or so, tourism has picked up on this once quiet, beautiful island. RCM saw a need to embark on alternative livelihood trainings for the local community on Mantanani, to encourage environmentally-friendly practices to reduce impacts on the marine ecosystems such as coral reefs.

To achieve this, we introduced and trained the local community to engage in other occupations such as becoming eco-friendly snorkel guides and homestay operators. Our “Homestays Improvement Program” that we began in Mantanani has been progressing rather well. Our colleagues on the island recently conducted a meeting with all the operators, to discuss their plans for the year and any issues that needed attention.

Each of these local operators attended several training sessions, in which they were equipped with better skills to run their business. The two-year project called “Establishing Community-Based Eco-Tourism in Mantanani”, funded by GEF SGP UNDP Malaysia, ended in 2022. Since then, the businesses have been running and generating quite good income for the local owners.

In the first year of operation in 2021, the homestays generated RM21,235; this amount doubled to RM46,270 in 2022. The total income in 2023 alone was close to RM60,000, which is almost three times more than the income in 2021! The total number of tourists who used the homestays also increased from 124 people in 2021, to 425 people in 2022, to 665 in 2023! We are immensely proud of the local homestay owners for their hard work and dedication in improving their services, and their effort in managing their homestays. Our colleagues on the island regularly engage with the homestay owners, to continually offer assistance in helping them carry out their business successfully. 

If you know of anyone who would be visiting Mantanani Island and is looking for a place to stay, you can support the local homestays by making a booking here.

Links:

• Cintai Mantanani - community programmes on Mantanani Island