The Sultan of Pahang, Al-Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah, officiated the launch ceremony of “MBOR: The First LRT Coach Reef in Malaysia”, held at Berjaya Tioman Resort here today.
Also gracing the event were Tengku Ampuan of Pahang Tunku Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah and the Regent of Pahang, Tengku Hassanal Ibrahim Alam Shah.
In his royal address, the sultan expressed his hope that the initiative by Yayasan Al-Sultan Abdullah (Yasa) would have a positive impact on the resort island’s tourism sector.
“I hope this new artificial reef will serve as an attraction for visitors, especially diving enthusiasts.
“It is my hope that this artificial reef will aid (in preserving) the marine ecosystem around Pulau Tioman, and I welcome further efforts to rehabilitate coral reefs here,” Al-Sultan Abdullah said.
At the same time, he expressed his desire to explore the LRT artificial reef, which has been named the Al-Sultan Abdullah Dive Site.
“I’ll be diving later as the video (I watched) earlier got me really excited, and we’ll set up another visit to Pulau Tioman in the near future,” he said.
Al-Sultan Abdullah also urged the authorities, particularly Yasa and the Tioman development board, to continuously monitor the LRT coaches to ensure they remain in safe condition and prevent any incidents involving divers.
Meanwhile, Yasa general manager Fakhrul Islam Juhali said the effort to submerge the two LRT coaches involved 60 divers.
According to Fakhrul, the site is designed to enhance the sustainability of its marine biodiversity by creating breeding grounds for fish and other marine life.
“We also hope this dive site will boost the local economy by drawing more tourists to Pulau Tioman,” he said.
Fakhrul said Pulau Tioman was selected for this programme due to its rich marine environment and importance as a major tourist attraction in Pahang.
“As the largest island among the nine that form Pulau Tioman Marine Park, this island offers activities such as snorkelling and scuba diving, along with a hiking trail that takes visitors to a breathtaking waterfall,” he said.