Liew (squatting at right), accompanied by Yee, planting a Napier grass cutting, to mark the launching of the Lower Kinabatangan Elephant Food Corridor project at Kg Bilit.
KINABATANGAN: Saraya Corporation, an environmentally conscious Japanese organisation, will be funding the 33.35-acre Lower Kinabatangan Elephant Food Corridor project here to the tune of RM1 million for the next five years.
Tourism, Culture and Envirment Minister Datuk Seri Christina Liew announced this when officially launching the project at Kampung Bilit here today, where she unveiled tapier grass planting site in the village.
She said this ambitious project aims to plant grasses along the riverbanks of Sungai Kinabatangan to create an alternative food source for our Bornean elephants, thereby guiding their movements away from human settlements and agricultural areas.
Liew said the Government has entrusted the Responsible Elephant Conservation Trust (RESPECT) to take a lead role in creating an elephant food corridor in Kinabatangan, starting at Kg Bilit. Wildlife conservationist Alexander Yee Kok Tsen is the Chairman of RESPECT.
“The partnership between RESPECT and Saraya Corporation exemplifies the power of collaboration in addressing complex conservation challenges.
“Saraya Corporation’s vision of fostering environmental sustainability aligns perfectly with Sabah’s goal of ensuring that our natural treasures are preserved for future generations.
“This partnership underscores Sabah’s unwavering commitment to promoting sustainable economic growth while protecting its unique biodiversity,” she said.
Liew reiterated that the Government is fully committed to providing the necessary support to ensure the success of this project.
Offering her congratulations to all parties involved, the Minister commended the communities of Kg Bilit and the surrounding areas for their active involvement in these efforts.
According to Liew, seven planters have been employed by RESPECT for this project. She stressed that conservation cannot succeed without the participation and ownership of local communities.
“Your dedication inspires us to continue working towards a harmonious future where humans and wildlife thrive together.
“As we witness these partnerships flourish, let us remember that they represent more than agreements on paper. They symbolise hope, responsibility, and a shared vision for a better tomorrow. Together, we can ensure that the Kinabatangan Corridor of Life continues to be a sanctuary for wildlife and a source of pride for all Sabahans,” said Liew.
“Let this day be a reminder of what we can achieve when we come together with a shared purpose,” she added.
On the rationale to create an elephant food corridor, the Minister noted that the range of movement of the elephants in Kinabatangan is like a long corridor as they move up and down the river, between Batu Putih and Kg Abai, with Kg Bilit roughly in the middle.
“As far as food is concerned, studies have shown that elephants feed on many kinds of plants but their favourites are oil palms and grasses. When we go by boat along the Kinabatangan River, you will notice that almost all the vegetation in Kinabatangan is either forest or oil palm.
“Grasslands now are actually very, very small. Where the river banks have no trees, we plan to plant and maintain grasses,” Liew said, adding that the planting of wild fig trees, which elephants and other wildlife animals love, will also be considered.
Dismissing critics’ argument that planting grasses will result in more elephants and more problems managing them, she said the reality is that elephants in Kinabatangan are already breeding very well. “Just look at all the babies. Every day an elephant is feeding on grass means a day not spent feeding on oil palm.”
Liew (standing, second left) witnessing the MoU signing and exchange of documents between Yee (seated, second right) and Ebnu.
The Sabah Wildlife Department is the Government agency assigned to collaborate with RESPECT towards the successful implementation of this initiation.
At the two-in-one affair, Liew also 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 KiTA Chairman Yee 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.
“Today, we come together to celebrate not just one, but two meaningful partnerships that embody our collective commitment to preserving the natural beauty of Kinabatangan and ensuring a harmonious coexistence between humans and wildlife,” she said, while emphasising that the MoU signing signifies a continued dedication to fostering cooperation between tourism operators in Kg Bilit and the villagers.
Under the MoU, each time a tourist is to stay 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% 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 10% conservation levy contributed by tourism operators, supporting activities led by Kampung Bilit representatives.
This initiative demonstrates how tourism can serve as a catalyst for community empowerment and environmental stewardship, said Liew.
Earlier, Yee expressed his 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 will execute the task of conservation with dedication and utmost ability.
According to Yee, RESPECT’s 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 Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister in 2023, the latter invited the RESPECT Board of Trustees 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,” said Yee.
Also present at the Monday launch were the Ministry’s Permanent Secretary Datuk Josie Lai, Deputy Permanent Secretary I Mary Malangking, Sabah Wildlife Department Director Mohd Soffian Abu Bakar, RESPECT Board of Trustees members Datuk John Payne and Yap Li Ling, Liew’s Political Secretary Vivien Lee, senior Ministry officials, and the Sabah Tourism Board (STB) media crew.
