By: Zacherlyn Ad

TUARAN: Fifty-two secondary school students from Tuaran rolled up their sleeves to plant mangroves and learn about the importance of coastal forest conservation.

The Mangrove Preservation Outreach Campaign 2025, organised by Hibiscus Petroleum in collaboration with the Sabah Wetlands Conservation Society (SWCS), was held on Tuesday (Sept 30) with the theme “Shaping Tomorrow’s Mangrove Protectors Today”.

The half-day event began with an opening ceremony at SMK Sungai Damit, where school principal Andrew Chungan welcomed the initiative alongside representatives from the Tuaran District Education Department.

Students later took part in sessions led by Hibiscus Petroleum’s Environment and Sustainable Development Manager, Rasima Abdul Rasid@Awang, who spoke on the environmental responsibilities of the oil and gas industry.

SWCS also gave a talk on the vital role mangroves play in protecting ecosystems and preventing coastal erosion.

The highlight of the day was the planting of 52 mangrove saplings at the Sulaman Lake Forest Reserve one for each participating student.

Hibiscus Petroleum’s Head of Operated Asset, Sabah, Edmund Ang said the campaign aimed to instil awareness among the younger generation about the need to protect coastal forests.

“We are proud to see young minds inspired to take action for the environment,” he said.

For SMK Badin Form Six student Mohd Ashraf Mohd Zulfekar, it was his first-ever environmental activity.

“I thought we’d be planting saplings by the beach, but instead we did it inside a forest reserve, which felt more adventurous. I learned so much and now feel motivated to join more environmental efforts,” he said.

The Tuaran programme marks the second phase of Hibiscus Petroleum’s three-part mangrove CSR series, which was launched in Kota Kinabalu in July.

Also present were Hibiscus Petroleum’s Community and Government Relations Senior Executive Durie Rainer Fong, and Tuaran District Education Office representative Mixhedryanson Reagen Johnson.