Bridging gap between sustainability, devt
LAHAD DATU: For first-time visitors to Sukau -- or any parts of Sabah’s east coast -anticipating a bountiful wildlife experience whilst being greeted by miles upon miles of oil palm plantations on their way from the airport may seem a bit perplexing.
It’s hard to put together how a land so rich in biodiversity would also be so rich in oil palm.
For Jumaidi Amil Hassan, a tourist guide with the awardwinning tour company, Borneo Eco Tours (BET) Sdn Bhd, answering tourists’ frequent questions about why there are so many oil palm plantations on Sabah’s east coast is part of the job.
“We’ve got tourists angrily talking about how the government isn’t doing their job to preserve our land due to the vast oil palm plantations. I have to patiently explain to them that oil palm plantations are not necessarily all bad,” said Jumaidi, who belongs to the Orang Sungai tribe of the Kinabatangan floodplains.
“Some of our wildlife have indeed lost their habitat due to deforestation, but at the same time, they (tourists) would have to understand that there can be no modern amenities, such as paved road networks and electricity. I am an example of a local who enjoyed the benefits of oil palm plantation development. It had enabled me to attend school,” he added.
Jumaidi also said that before his homeland was developed as an oil palm plantation, he and his siblings had to walk for two hours to school. This was the reality of life without paved road networks.
He added that it might be easy for Western tourists from a first-world country to demonise oil palm plantations because they mainly never had to struggle with a lack of necessities.
Multiple studies have shown that the palm oil industry has made a significant contribution to alleviating poverty and boosting economic growth in rural areas. While sustainability is an important aspect to consider, it will be the last thing on a community’s mind when basic needs are not met.
In 2023, the palm oil sub-sector dominates the agricultural sector in Sabah with a contribution of 9.6 per cent to Sabah’s overall GDP. As long as there is a continuous global demand for palm oil products, Sabah’s tourism products will have to continue coexist with stretches of plantation estates.
With many tourism accolades in its cap over the years, BET is well-known as a trailblazer in the sustainable tourism movement.
Sukau Rainforest Lodge (SRL) will forever be known as the first National Geographic Unique Lodge of the World, offering a vibrant Bornean rainforest and wildlife experience all the while giving guests a luxurious eco-lodge experience. What’s most noteworthy is SRL’s bioseptic treatment plant -- an environmentally friendly sewage treatment system -- ensuring that it discharges clean water back into the river.
Following the success of SRL, BET has once again set its eyes on introducing another niche eco destination: Tabin Rainforest Lodge (TRL).
Nestled amidst the Tabin Forest Reserve, about two hours’ drive from Lahad Datu town into the oil palm plantation, the newly opened TRL offers the best of both the sea and the secondary rainforest. On one side, this cosy eco-lodge is bookended by miles-long of mangrove forest, leading into a vast open sea.
On the other side, the Tabin rainforest offers a wealth of wildlife, ranging from primates such as the red langur and longtailed macaques to exotic birdlife such as the rufous-backed kingfisher and the endemic Bornean ground cuckoo. Besides being a promising wildlifespotting and birding destination, there have also been sightings of the endangered Irrawaddy dolphins reported in the open sea.
Previously an abandoned accommodation built by the Sabah Forestry Department, the forest site surrounding TRL was illegally logged in the early 1990s. There was already a wealth of birdlife in the area but none of the locals recognised its tourism potential.
“When I first set foot here, there were bird traps all over the oil palm plantations. I soon discovered that the oil palm plantation workers would capture beautiful birds such as the black-headed pitta and sell them at the local tamu market for they command a good price,” said Timothy Teo, managing director of BET and owner of TRL.
“We had to educate them that catching these birds is illegal and there are birding tourists who are willing to come across the continent just to see them,” he added.
According to Teo, part of the challenges of running an eco-lodge is educating the people about the importance of sustainability and preserving wildlife. In the future, he and his team are planning to conduct a community engagement programme with the villagers of Kampung Maruap floating village.
“We source our fresh seafood from the fishermen of Kampung Maruap. In the future, we would also like to engage the villagers in other activities that provide economic opportunities, without offering toxic charity. Most of our staff are also locals. We believe in empowering the local community so they, too, will be able to become community leaders in the future,” Teo concluded.
BET also has a non-profit and corporate and social responsibility (CSR) arm known as BEST Society. Every international adult guest who purchases an SRL package directly through BET will contribute MYR 28.00 to Conservation Contribution. On top of that, SRL will also contribute MYR 4.00 respectively to BEST Society.