When we say Pulau Mabul, what comes to mind? Some might say it’s one of the many islands in
Sabah, some might say it’s an island located near Semporna, some might even say it’s an island
specifically to attract tourists to Sabah. This island is well known amongst divers for its variety of
coral reefs and sea creatures like the trumpet fish, starfish, turtles and the famous Nemo (Ocellaris
clownfish). How about the community that lives on this island? Trust me, there is more than meets
the eyes.
Pulau Mabul is home for the Suluk and Bajau people. The main occupation of the residents here is
fishing. You will be greeted early in the morning with the blasting sound of boats vrooming across
the water. You might get irritated by the sound at first but once you get used to it, you will feel like
something is missing when you are away from it. Other than fishing, some of the residents work in
the nearby resorts and some make handicrafts to support their families. They live a modest yet
happy life, thus resulting in them being very welcoming towards the people visiting the island.
The beauty of the flora and fauna, the kindness of the community, and the ongoing development
on Pulau Mabul cannot hide the fact that the residents of this island are going through electricity
and clean water shortages. Not to mention the neglected waste management issues, too. The youth
of this island have not made these issues a hurdle to protect what is important to them. Together
with the help of WWF and under the guidance of Adzmin Fatta, they established Green Semporna
and started project IKLIM with the main focus on marine life conservation and climate change
actions for the island, issues which are considered the two sides of the same coin.
“I’m hoping that this island will become waste-less and we will have more diverse sea creatures in
the future,” said Aija, one of Green Semporna’s youths. It is the wish of her best friend, Aina and her
since their childhood to have a “perfect” island which according to their standard is waste-less, has
natural diversity and zero issues with water and electricity. Like a child learning to walk, they have
started taking steps to make changes possible, overcoming any obstacles along their journey. The
burning passion, the unbreakable patience, and the mighty strength of Mabul’s youths have made
the light of change slowly radiate from Pulau Mabul.
