KOTA KINABALU: University College Sabah Foundation (UCSF) and the Sabah Birdwatchers Association (SBWA) have formally signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to collaborate on the development and delivery of a birding module and course offering.
The signing ceremony, held at Shangri-La’s Tanjung Aru Resort in Kota Kinabalu, also marked the official launch of the new birding course by the Guest of Honour, Yang Berhormat Datuk Joniston Bangkuai, Assistant Minister of Tourism, Culture and Environment of Sabah.
The MoU was signed by UCSF Vice-Chancellor Datuk Dr Rafiq Idris and Acting Registrar Norasyiqin Ahmad, while SBWA was represented by its Chairman Mr Ronald Puddin and Vice Chairman Mr Roger. The event was witnessed by stakeholders from the Sabah Tourism Board, UCSF, SBWA, the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture (MOTAC), Sabah Parks, the Sabah Forestry Department, private sector representatives, and bird guides.
In his speech, YB Datuk Joniston commended the initiative by UCSF and SBWA and expressed hope that the birding module would encourage rural youth to explore birdwatching and gain valuable skills that could lead to meaningful livelihood opportunities.
“By training locals to become bird guides, we are helping them discover new income streams and fostering long-term environmental stewardship,” he said.
“When communities see value in protecting their forests and wetlands, they are more inclined to participate in conservation efforts—and that’s the kind of sustainable tourism we aim to promote.”
Datuk Dr Rafiq Idris reaffirmed UCSF’s commitment to supporting birding literacy and eco-tourism initiatives through collaborative efforts.
“This MoU formalises our partnership to develop a comprehensive birding module—a significant step forward in education and in the promotion of sustainable eco-tourism,” he said.
“We aim to offer a course accessible to guides and other stakeholders interested in birdwatching. Additionally, we want to empower new community-level bird guides with the knowledge and professionalism required to serve tourists effectively. We hope this training and certification programme will be sustained and that birding continues to grow as a thriving niche market,” he added.
Meanwhile, SBWA Chairman Mr Ronald Puddin described the MoU as a long-awaited milestone.
“The MOU signing with a local higher institution has been always the pipe dream towards future certification efforts for Bird Guides. As of the present all Bird Guides is known by reputation but if Sabah need to be the foremost destination for birding in this region, we must recognise and certified our local bird guide to move forward. So this signing of the MOU is momentous and a historical event,” he said.
Following the signing, Mr Ronald Puddin delivered a special presentation entitled “The Future of the Avitourism Industry in Sabah.”
He highlighted birdwatching as a promising niche market and spoke on Sabah’s untapped potential in the subsector. He also shared personal observations of birding activities in Malaysia and abroad, as well as insights into Sabah’s rich diversity of endemic bird species.-pr/BNN
