Kundasang: Sabah Parks’s Diamond Jubilee on Saturday also marked the 61st anniversary of the gazettement of Kinabalu Park. It was established in 1964, a year after the formation of Malaysia.
There are now nine State Parks in Sabah, with 24 station entrances with recreational zones that have various tourism facilities and nine control posts.
“From that moment, we can see how the progress of Sabah has been with Sabah Parks becoming the heart of biodiversity conservation and natural heritage that has made Sabah famous nationally and internationally,” said state Tourism, Culture and Environment minister Datuk Christina Liew.
Kinabalu Park was gazetted on Jan 16, 1964 as the first state park in Sabah which was recognized as a World Heritage Site on Dec 2, 2000.
This marked the beginning of conservation efforts, the opening up of job opportunities, and laid the foundation for the development of eco-tourism which is now the main economic source for Sabah.
“Sabah Parks recorded many impressive successes throughout its history, including the cooperation between the two countries through the bilateral agreement Turtle Islands Heritage Protected Area (TIHPA) signed on 31 May 1996 for the protection of turtles at the regional level, particularly for Pulau Penyu Park in Sandakan, Sabah and Turtle Islands Wildlife Sanctuary in the Philippines.
“On 12 June 2014, the Crocker Range, which involves 10 districts, was recognised as a Biosphere Reserve under the Man and Biosphere Reserve programme by Unesco and is known as the Crocker Range Biosphere Reserve (RBBC).
“In 2022, Kota Kinabalu hosted the 2nd IUCN Asia Parks Congress, a prestigious event that brings together key players in protected area conservation from over 30 countries, including Japan, Australia and India.
“This Congress strengthened Sabah’s position as a global conservation hub. The Kota Kinabalu Declaration was created to bring together several resolutions that carry the important message of protected areas for nature and humanity worldwide during the congress,” she said.
In 2023, Sabah received its third Unesco recognition with the proclamation of Kinabalu Geopark as a Unesco Global Geopark.
It made Sabah one of three locations in the world with the Unesco Triple Crown. This honour proves our commitment in promoting natural heritage for future generations.
Sabah Parks developed the Young Ranger program which has been implemented in many schools in Sabah.
Sipadan Island Park has collected more than RM16 million in revenue since it was gazetted in 2009, through various conservation and education activities.
These parks are not only tourism icons but also major contributors to the state’s income.
Also present were Sabah Parks Director Dr. Maklarin Bin Lakim, Chairman of the Sabah Parks Board of Trustees Peter Lintar, District Officers of Ranau, Kota Marudu, Membakut, Tambunan and Penampang, Director of the Sabah Maju Jaya Secretariat, Rosnih Binti Othman, Chief of Ranau Fire Station, Ridwan Mohd Taib, Executive Officer, Ranau District Council Elmer Endra Sator and others.
