A total of 37 students from Politeknik Tawau have successfully completed the Kampung Ecoventure Programme Series II, held at Kampung Telisai and Pulau Buta Ecotourism in Tungku.
The three-day programme was organised for the students to engage with the local community in various activities, creating a positive impact on community development, said its Deputy Director, Mohliyarni Jaling.
She said the programme not only strengthened bonds between the educational institution and the community but also served as a platform for the sharing of knowledge, experiences, and culture.
During the programme, she said, the students participated in a foster family programme, cultural explorace, traditional games, ethnic cooking, student expertise-sharing sessions with the community, as well as cultural performances and exposure to local heritage.
“The foster family programme gave students the opportunity to experience rural life first-hand while gaining a deeper understanding of local customs and ways of life,” said Mohliyarni.
Similarly, she said, the cultural explorace activity introduced students to the village’s unique culture and history while also testing their teamwork and resilience.
Traditional games helped foster a spirit of sportsmanship and goodwill between villagers and students, while the expertise-sharing sessions allowed the community of Kampung Telisai to benefit from the students’ skills and knowledge in the field of tourism.
She added that the programme not only promoted Kampung Telisai and Pulau Buta Ecotourism as destinations rich in cultural heritage and natural beauty but also represented an important step towards building sustainable and competitive community development.
Programme Director Mohammad Rafiq Dharma Nazrul said this initiative is a compulsory requirement under the continuous assessment (PB), where students are required to plan and implement a community-based tourism (CoBT) programme that actively involves the local community.
“We not only gained knowledge about CoBT but also learned the values of cooperation, culture, and rural community life—a truly priceless experience,” he said.
“The students had an unforgettable stay at the Bajau Balangingi community homestay, enjoying the tranquility of the village atmosphere,” he added.
They also had the opportunity to sample traditional cuisine, experience the daily lifestyle of the community more closely, learn the Bajau Balangingi dialect, and try playing traditional musical instruments from the village.
These experiences, he said, deepened their understanding and appreciation of the Bajau Balangingi culture as well as Malaysia’s rich cultural diversity.
He also thanked the lecturers of the CoBT course, Mohliyarni Jaling and Rosilah Man, for providing invaluable guidance and continuous support from the early planning stages until the final day of the programme.
The activities also featured an exhibition of Batik Sabah works by Yuslan Jafri, a local batik designer.
The strategic collaboration between Pulau Buta Ecotourism and Yuslan in developing the Batik Sabah art industry has a significant impact and benefits on the upstream and downstream economy of the local community in Tungku.
This opens opportunities for the batik industry in the area, creating many potential employment opportunities. To begin with, the children of cooperative members who are interested can be trained under Yuslan.
Additionally, the presence of the “Father of Tourism in Sabah,” Dato’ Seri Tengku Dr Zainal Adlin Tengku Mahamood, at the programme added further motivation to the participants as well as the residents of Kampung Telisai.
It is hoped that this will further instill a sense of love and awareness among programme participants regarding the importance and sustainability of the tourism industry in Sabah.
Pulau Buta Ecotourism also offers university internships at its tourism facilities.
Present at the programme were Politeknik Tawau Director Helen Lau @ Abd Kadir, Head of Academic Department Mohamad Zulhilmy Mohamad Yusop, and Head of Student Affairs Unit Dr Alfian Thomas.
Also present were Sabah Homestay Association Committee Member William Lee, ANGKASA Cooperative Development Officer Mohd Idris Salehuddin, Pulau Buta Ecotourism Manager Jessica Reyes @ Noraini Abdullah, and Koperasi Perniagaan Akuakultur Sabah Bhd Chairman Mohd Amirol Hamid.
