Sabah's Sg Pin Conservation Area set for international boost

SKG Green Sdn Bhd Chief Executive Officer Philipa Datuk Wilfred Mojilis (forth right) posed for a group photo with Sabah Forestry Department’s Chief Conservator of Forests Datuk Frederick Kugan (sixth left) during his recent visit to the Sungai Pin Conservation Area in Kinabatangan.

KOTA KINABALU: The Sungai Pin Conservation Area (SPnCA) is set to gain international attention as a featured case study in the upcoming Asean Handbook on Regenerative Tourism.

Experts say this recognition could put Sabah’s conservation-led tourism model firmly on the regional map.

Sabah Forestry Department’s Chief Conservator of Forests Datuk Frederick Kugan and wife trying out the ATV, one of the activities offered at the Sungai Pin Conservation Area during their recent visit.

SKG Green Sdn Bhd chief executive officer Philipa Wilfred Mojilis said the inclusion of SPnCA signalled growing acknowledgement of Sabah’s efforts to integrate biodiversity conservation with responsible tourism within a production landscape.

She said she was pleased that SPnCA had been selected for the handbook.

"This handbook is expected to be circulated across Asean member states and international partners.

SKG Green Senior Manager of Conservation and Biodiversity Charis Saliun (third left) sharing updates on the company’s conservation initiatives at the Sungai Pin Conservation Area with Plantation with Sabah Forestry Department’s Chief Conservator of Forests Datuk Frederick Kugan (second left) during the latter’s visit, recently.

"To have SPnCA showcased in it is more than recognition; it is an opportunity for Sabah to share its conservation story with a global audience," she said in a statement on Tuesday (Dec 2).

Mojilis said SPnCA had grown into a flagship example of restoration, research and community-inclusive tourism, demonstrating how palm oil landscapes could coexist with meaningful environmental protection.

"Regenerative tourism is not just about bringing visitors in. It is about leaving places better than we found them. SPnCA is living proof that production areas can host thriving biodiversity when we commit to responsible management," she noted.

SKG Green Sdn Bhd Chief Executive Officer Philipa Datuk Wilfred Mojilis (fifth right) posing for a group photo with the guests from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia’s Uni-Technologies Sdn Bhd and Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry, recently.

She added that Sawit Kinabalu, the parent company of SKG Green, had long recognised the importance of balancing economic development with the protection of natural assets.

In a separate message to Sabah chief conservator of forests Datuk Frederick Kugan, Mojilis highlighted the long-standing partnership between Sawit Kinabalu and the Sabah Forestry Department through a memorandum of understanding signed in 2017.

This paved the way for the 2,632ha SPnCA, voluntarily set aside by Sawit Kinabalu as a conservation zone within its plantation landscape.

SKG Green Sdn Bhd Chief Executive Officer Philipa Datuk Wilfred Mojilis (third right) joining a fact-finding session with representatives from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia’s Uni-Technologies Sdn Bhd and Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry, recently.

"SPnCA is more than just a forest. It is a critical wildlife corridor, a green bridge for species such as orangutans and proboscis monkeys," Mojilis said.

She added that SKG Green has translated the MoU into action, planting over half a million trees and developing a formal management plan with technical guidance from the Forestry Department.

"As we work towards positioning SPnCA as a regional example of regenerative tourism, collaboration remains our greatest strength," she said.