From barren land to eco-friendly resort
MANGALA Resort & Spa in Pahang has been named the World Gold winner in the Environmental (Rehabilitation/Conservation) Category of the FIABCI World Prix d'Excellence Awards 2018, making it the only eco-leisure resort and development project in the country to ever do so.
Farm Resort (Gambang) Sdn Bhd managing director Dato Franky Chua, the driving force behind the effort, said its maiden win at the prestigious awards had been completely unexpected.
“Nevertheless, the commendation by the International Real Estate Federation is a reward and motivation for us to soldier on with our efforts. This project had required a great amount of passion, determination and financial resources,” he said.
Looking at the tropical oasis that is now Mangala, which means 'well-being' in Sanskrit, it is hard to imagine all of it as just barren land once upon a time.
“When we acquired the 161.8ha piece of land in 2002, it was heavily degraded and its soil composition was permanently changed due to 30 to 40 years of tin and sand mining activities.
“There was nothing but gullies, ponds and small lakes. Almost 80% of the land was covered in clay with no topsoil, little sand and hardly any vegetation left.
“There were obstacles in every aspect of rehabilitating the land. It was a continuous 15 years of hardwork and dedication to recreate the green environment that we see today and to bring back the wildlife,” he said.
Describing it as a personal homage by him and his team to Mother Nature, Chua said they were determined not to let the land go to waste.
“We brought empty fruit bunches from nearby palm oil mills to the site and allowed them to decay slowly in order to create a topsoil while simultaneously planting oil palm trees with the intention of fertilising the land.
“We chose hardy plants such as palm and coconut trees due to their root configurations which deem them suitable for planting, given the barren condition of the land.
“The surrounding soil was further optimised through the decomposition of more organic components such as empty fruit bunches, palm kernel shells, as well as the trunk of the plants and leaves, which resulted in a thick layer of humus that greatly fertilised the land and allowed the planting of different trees,” he said.
Organic fertilisers, he said, were also used to reduce the acidity of soil.
“Then, various tree species, including local jungle trees such as the salam, kelumpang burung, bruas and keriat, were sourced from the Forestry Department, the peninsular Malaysia Wildlife and National Parks Department as well as private nurseries and planted on site to attract birds.
“So far, we have seen as many as 80 different species of birds such as hornbills, wild magpies and the pink-necked green pigeon — some of them rare migratory birds that were not sighted previously.
“It was the same with the wildlife. We began seeing many of them including river otters and wild boars,” he said.
Chua added that the work to rehabilitate the land did not stop at there.
“We also had to fill up the gullies and small ponds,” he said.
“To prevent river erosion, we realigned the proper flow of streams and mitigate excess water flow.
“There was also the obstacle of maintaining water levels during dry spells and the monsoon season. To control the water levels of lakes and wetland areas, water gates were placed in different areas,” he said.
Compared to the sight that greeted Chua when he first stepped foot on the piece of land more than a decade ago, visitors to the Mangala Resort and Spa are welcomed to a stunning tropical paradise.
“Despite having ample land, only 25ha is reserved for the development of the resort.
“Embedded in the oil palm estate and surrounded by rivers, lakes and hillside, hidden away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life, are a special bungalow, wetland cottages, water villas, forest villas, and a clubhouse and spa complex,” he said.
Coming soon are more orchard villas and family villas.
“Initially when we bought the land, the plan was to build a private bungalow and to recreate a piece of my childhood environment in the 60s and 70s, everywhere at the time was green and beautiful. It was supposed to be my retirement home.
“As rehabilitation efforts progressed, I found myself thinking this place could be so much more than what I had intended for it to be.
“I felt compelled to share its beauty and tranquility with others, and so began many years of gruelling hardwork. But then, nature is rewarding when tender loving care is given,” Chua said.
“Hopefully, our story can serve as a motivation for others to adopt similar rehabilitative projects.
“We hope to encourage corporate companies with a ferocious commitment to sustainability to visit the resort for team building activities and others.
“The large expanse of land allows us to tailor-make activities to suit everyone’s needs. Moreover, there are a total of 65 villas, a private bungalow, a ballroom and meeting rooms to accommodate large crowds.
“In this case, more people will be made aware about this largescale sustainability project and we hope to inspire those with similar passions to pursue projects centred on sustainability,” he added.
For details, visit www.mangalaresortandspa.com.