Tourism, arts and culture minister Nancy Shukri said besides Pulau Bidong being a popular diving spot among scuba divers, the area also protected the undersea heritage and hidden treasures.

The first Asean Underwater Mini Landmark (AUMiL) is funded by the Asean Cultural Fund with an allocation of nearly RM300,000.

“It is being run with the cooperation of Universiti Malaysia Terengganu and the National Heritage Department under the tourism, arts and culture ministry,” she said after AUMiL’s launch in Pulau Bidong today.

State tourism committee chairman Ariffin Deraman was also present.

The monuments are the Kuala Lumpur Petronas Twin Towers (KLCC), the Haji Omar Ali Saifuddien Mosque (Brunei), the Jose Rizal Monument (the Philippines), the Cambodia Independence Monument (Cambodia), the Patuxai Monument (Laos) and a specially constructed monument, named the Asean Symbol of Unity Monument, signifying the togetherness of Asean countries.

The other monuments built are the Merlion (Singapore), Wat Arun Ratchawararam Ratchaworamahawihan (Thailand), Indonesia National Monument (Indonesia), Tran Quoc Pagoda (Vietnam) and Shwedagon Pagoda (Myanmar), which were all submerged 15m underwater on the Pulau Bidong seabed.

Ariffin said he hoped the project would help boost tourism in Terengganu, especially after the Covid-19 pandemic.

He said hopefully, the seabed monuments would trigger interest among tourists, especially scuba divers from Asean nations who are always on the lookout for new, unique diving locations for them to explore.

“We must, however, exercise control and limit the number of tourists there to preserve the natural beauty at Pulau Bidong.

“Presently, tourists can only carry out day-trip diving activities and they are not allowed to spend the night there,” he added.