20/10/2026
WORKSHOP AND STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT ON THE PROPOSED ESTABLISHMENT OF THE TUN SAKARAN MARINE PARK COMMUNITY USE ZONE (ZKK TMTS), SEMPORNA
27–28 September 2026 | Seafest Hotel, Semporna .
The Workshop and Stakeholder Engagement on the Proposed Establishment of the Tun Sakaran Marine Park Community Use Zone (ZKK TMTS) was successfully held from 27 to 28 September 2026, aimed at obtaining views, suggestions and preliminary agreement from the community and stakeholders regarding the proposed establishment of the ZKK within the Park area.
On 27 September 2026, a workshop with the community and tourism operators was held with 49 participants, focusing on discussions of the ZKK concept, community needs, potential activities, and the issues and challenges faced by communities on each island.
The Stakeholder Engagement Session with agencies and the community was held on 28 September 2026 with 42 attendees, involving representatives from the Semporna District Office, Native Court, Malaysia Co-operative Societies Commission (SKM), MOTAC, KePKAS, the Internal Affairs and Research Office (PHEDNP), Semporna District Police Headquarters (IPD) and the Tun Sakaran Marine Park community. Both sessions served as key platforms for gathering input and perspectives from various parties to refine the proposed establishment and management mechanisms of the ZKK TMTS.
Discussions indicated that the community, in principle, accepts the proposed establishment of the ZKK, with several key emphases and preliminary suggestions to be addressed during implementation. The workshop also emphasised that community use of the area shall be subject to the rules and provisions of each sub-zone within the ZKK, membership conditions, area usage regulations, community consideration and consent, and approval by the Park authority, taking into account the views and advice of relevant agencies.
The implementation of the ZKK must be anchored in the principle that conservation remains the fundamental basis of Park management. Tuan Maipol Spait, Deputy Director of the Sabah Parks Operations Sector, in his presentation on the final day of the programme, concluded that the workshop's findings can serve as the basis for subsequent actions — including the preparation of a management structure and committee formation, joint mapping with the community, boundary demarcation, action plan development, guideline preparation, and the development of application procedures for community tourism activities within the ZKK TMTS.
This approach is expected to establish a systematic, inclusive and effective ZKK management model recognising the community as a strategic partner in conservation, while ensuring that resource use and economic development are carried out responsibly, in a controlled manner, and in line with the management objectives of Tun Sakaran Marine Park.
