KINABATANGAN: State Minister of Tourism, Culture and Environment Datuk Seri Christina Liew witnessed the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Kinabatangan-Corridor of Life Tourism Operators Association Sabah (KiTA) and the Kg Bilit Village Development and Security Committee (JKKK).
Inking the MoU were Chairman of KiTA Alexander Yee Kok Tsen and Kg Bilit Village Chief Ebnu Itin, witnessed by Kg Bilit JKKK Chairman Rosman Mohd Nat and Pemaju Mukim Sukau Adam Malan, and Johnny Lim of KITA.
The Minister described the strategic move as a significant occasion, marking a remarkable milestone in Sabah’s journey towards wildlife conservation and environmental sustainability.
Under the MoU, each time a tourist stays in a lodge within Kg Bilit, the KiTA member lodge operator will self-impose RM5 Conservation Levy to be paid into a fund within KiTA.
From this collective fund, 10 per cent is then allocated to the village JKKK for them to carry out village development.
This Tabung Ehsan or Kindness Trust Fund was set up about eight years ago and it is the fourth agreement of its kind for Kg Bilit.
There is a similar Tabung Ehsan for the villages of Kg Sukau, Kg Abai and Sungei Lokan where KitA members operate lodges. This is a reflection of the strong and growing partnership among stakeholders of Kinabatangan as they manage and share the area’s natural resources.
Under this MoU, the parties have pledged to:
- Work together on community clean-up activities, including maintaining the riverbanks, roads, jetties, and recreational areas, and organising sports and social activities to strengthen relationships.
- Safeguard mutual interests to prevent disruptions and threats to joint projects, businesses, and activities that benefit both parties.
- Establish a community fund from a 10pc conservation levy contributed by tourism operators, supporting activities led by Kg Bilit representatives.
This initiative demonstrates how tourism can serve as a catalyst for community empowerment and environmental stewardship, Liew said.
Yee expressed appreciation to the Minister for her vision of creating an elephant food corridor in Kinabatangan and selecting Respect to carry out this important task.
“We are grateful to the Minister for securing the much-needed fund from Saraya Corporation,” he said, while assuring Liew that Respect would execute the task of conservation with dedication and utmost ability.
According to Yee, the plan to improve landscape connectivity through the provision of food for elephants is in tandem with the Bornean Elephant Action Plan launched by Liew in 2020.
He recalled that upon Liew’s return as Minister of Tourism, Culture and Environment in 2023, the latter invited the Board of Trustees of Respect to discuss her vision of setting up a food corridor for the Borneo Elephants in the Lower Kinabatangan area.
In early 2020, Respect informed Liew of the setting up of this elephant conservation trust a year earlier and its intention to plant grasses at Telupid.
“However, the initiative in Telupid failed due to the Covid-19 outbreak. The rest is history,” Yee said.
