LABUAN: About 100 Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) students are gaining hands-on experience as volunteers at the five-day Borneo Flora Festival (BFF) 2025, which began on Saturday.
First-year student Muhd Alif Hazim, 21, from the university’s main campus, said he travelled to Labuan specifically to volunteer at the inaugural festival.
“This is the biggest event I’ve joined this year. I wanted to improve my communication skills and meet new people,” said the Computer Science (Data Science) student.
He said the Borneo Tropical Flora and the Borneo Rainforest Jewel exhibitions drew strong interest from visitors on the first day, particularly for showcasing various floral species, including tulips, sunflowers, pohon pontianak and orchids.
Siti Aisyah Masyop, 23, a student from the Faculty of Computing and Informatics, said this was her first volunteer experience and an opportunity to gain new knowledge and interact with the public.
The Selangor-born student said their tasks included giving directions and assisting visitors with taking photographs.
“Visitors have been friendly and we always ask if they need any help. With the large crowd, some may be unsure of where to go,” she said.
Third-year student Anne Roza Robin, 22, from the Faculty of International Finance, said she had been involved in the festival since its initial flower-planting phase.
Hailing from Keningau, she described the experience as meaningful, especially in preparing herself for the working world.
“There was a huge turnout on the first day of BFF. Despite the hot weather, we remained committed to assisting visitors,” she said.
Meanwhile, Labuan Corporation said in a Facebook post that a total of 37,130 visitors were recorded on the festival’s opening day.
