Sustainability Is An Investment In Tioman
By Abdul Hamid A Rahman
TIOMAN, July 26 (Bernama) -- In Tioman, sustainability is not seen as a cost. It is viewed as an investment.
And a wise one at that.
Here, the coral reefs, rainforests, and coastlines are not mere backdrops for tourism. They are the lifeblood of the island’s economy, the heart of its culture, and the anchor of its future.
During a recent assignment to this island paradise, this writer observed some of the island’s quiet yet determined efforts to safeguard its natural inheritance.
At the Pulau Tioman Marine Park Information Centre, visitors are immersed in the island’s ecological narrative, its sea, its forest, and the delicate balance that sustains both. The exhibits and materials there detail how Tioman, located off the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia, has earned its reputation as one of the world’s most beautiful islands.
Pulau Tioman is widely regarded as a diver’s paradise.
According to the centre’s information display, the island's sparkling blue waters and white sandy beaches, coupled with warm temperatures and underwater visibility ranging from 20 to 30 metres (64-96 feet), make it ideal for snorkelling and diving.
The calm sea has fostered thriving coral reefs, home to an incredibly rich array of coral species, marine fauna, and flora. Visitors are likely to encounter manta rays, whale sharks, turtles, and schools of brightly coloured reef fish swimming through corals in vivid neon hues.
Beyond the sea, Tioman is also one of the last strongholds of untouched rainforest in the South China Sea. Informational displays at the centre highlight that Pulau Tioman has been gazetted as a wildlife reserve, sheltering diverse fauna including the slow loris, binturong, mousedeer, brush-tailed porcupine, and long-tailed macaque.
Tioman’s terrestrial rainforest area was first protected in 1972 under the Pulau Tioman Wildlife Reserve. In 1994, the surrounding sea, encompassing over 25,000 hectares, was designated a Marine Park under the Fisheries Act 1985.
These facts, quietly shared through maps and signboards at the information centre, reflect more than just policy. They represent a long-standing promise that the island’s natural wealth will not only be admired but also protected for generations to come.
The Man and the Sea
Mohd Don Mustapha, 54, stood quietly by the shore, not to sell a tour package or speak of resort accolades, but to share a story far more fragile: that of Tioman’s endangered sea turtles.
"I am from here,” he began simply. Just a local man, born and raised on Tioman Island.
“When I was 11 or 12 years old, I could see two to three thousand baby turtles a week during the season. In an April-August season, this could reach 30,000," he recalled.
That was more than four decades ago. Today, he counts himself lucky to see 3,000 in a year.
Faced with the alarming decline, he and his brother decided to act. With no formal training but a lifetime of coastal wisdom, they began a grassroots conservation effort, modest, self-funded, and quietly persistent.
“We are seeking Pahang Exco permission to nurture newly hatched turtles. Three to four months will be sufficient to ensure they have a survival chance when released into the sea,” he explained.
Mohd Don currently tends to two turtle species found around Tioman, the green sea turtle (penyu agar) and the hawksbill sea turtle (penyu karah). Hatchlings, some just four days old, are carefully raised in handmade enclosures near the beach.
“Some hatched at 8.30 pm yesterday,” he said, eyes lighting up.
Visitors are welcome to observe and photograph, but always with care.
“You can look and take pictures, but please don’t touch them,” he said gently.
His conservation space, affectionately called Campsite Sekuci, is far from a formal centre. There are no elaborate facilities, just tents, sand, and the will to protect.
“This is not a big conservation centre. This is just a campsite, where we take care of baby turtles," he said.
What started with two brothers trying to stop eggs from being eaten by monitor lizards, monkeys or taken by humans has now gained unexpected traction, from the very community that once saw turtle eggs as food.
“Now even the villagers understand. If they come across eggs, they will bury them first. Then they will ask if they have done it correctly. Whenever possible, they will send them to me to be looked after," he said.
He is at the campsite nearly every day. Although his family lives in Johor Bahru, and there’s a home to maintain there, his heart remains on this beach.
The Children
He switches between calling the hatchlings “anak-anak” and “budak-budak”(both expressions denote children), showing the deep affection he has for them.
Some turtles even have names. One, Aishah, now seven months old, was released but returned on the same day, climbing straight into his pocket.
“When I released her into the wild, I said, ‘If you want me to take care of you, you come back. And Aishah came back,” he recalled, his voice thick with emotion.
Nine-month-old Jacko will be released when he is ready.
Why does he do all this, with no funding, no recognition? His answer is simple. Love.
The goal is not profit, he stressed, but for future generations, and the quiet satisfaction of seeing his “children” make it to sea.
There are no signboards here. No corporate campaigns. Just a man, a beach, and a belief that if he does not act, perhaps no one will.
Through this quiet perseverance, the turtles still come.
And they will continue to come. But these “children” will need all the Mohd Don Mustaphas in each of us to care for them, in some form of contribution or other.
Visit Malaysia 2026 will undoubtedly bring waves of visitors. But if this island, and the people who keep it alive and thriving, continue to nurture the fire within them for this island, then what awaits is more than just tourists and revenue.
It is more meaning.
-- BERNAMA