The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Borneo Eco Tours (BET) Mr Albert Teo, Managing Director and two Kiulu landowners Mr. Sikong Moringo and Mdm. Tuwin Gumporoh was signed today at Sabah Tourism Board office, Gaya Street HQ, witnessed by YB Datuk Joniston, Chairman of Sabah Tourism Board, who is also the ADUN for Kiulu along with the CEO of Sabah Tourism Board, Mdm. Noredah Othman and Mr Saidin Tupas, a member of MUKEST (see separate explanation of MUKEST), a community based NGO set up by Borneo Eco Tours in 2016 on behalf of 13 villages at Kiulu Farmstay.
Borneo Eco Tours created the Kiulu Farmstay in 2015 as a community-based ecotourism project to create and nurture the potential for tourism in the Kiulu area. Initially, it consisted of 3 villages, namely Kg. Mantob, Kg. Dumpiring and Kg. Pinagon Baru.
In Phase 1 Borneo Eco Tours played an active role to create new tourism products, such as the Kiulu Farmstay, Bamboo Hut Village, Borneo Quad Biking, Kiulu Homestays, guided tours, and Obstacle Course. The company employed and trained local community leaders to do the daily operations from homestay operations to basic bookkeeping and guiding. The company also provided logistical support by providing transport for the tourists to/from Kiulu and marketing support through tour packaging and selling.
The Fig Tree accommodation is one of the significant projects at Kiulu Farmstay. It consisted of 2 bedrooms, a dining area, kitchenette, bathroom. It was designed and built by the volunteers in the span of only two months using locally sourced bamboo, biocrete walls of concrete mixed with rice husk.
Over the five years (2015-2019) Borneo Eco Tours generated an income of more than RM660,000.00. Of the total income, RM614,000 was injected into the local economy. Borneo Eco Tours has reached its goal to boost the local economy and improve the livelihood of the villages there. This is also to reduce their dependency on external parties, charity and hand-outs.
The main objective behind developing community-based tourism CBT in Kiulu Farmstay is to alleviate poverty among the local communities by creating new income and job opportunities – a social entrepreneurship approach that acts as a catalyst for community development and capacity building. To do this, Borneo Eco Tours set up Mukim Ulu Kiulu Ecotourism Solutions and Technologies (MUKEST) Society in 2016. From 2015-2019, a total of RM32,500 was contributed by revenue generated from the tour income to MUKEST Society to implement various projects.
Among the projects implemented by MUKEST Society with Borneo Eco Tours and BEST Society were:
1.From 2016, muddy footpaths used by the local villagers were being upgraded to concrete
steps with handrails for both tourists and local villagers to use. Some of the suspension bridges
in the villages were also maintained and repaired.
2. In 2016, INTI College from Hospitality & Customer Service came to teach basic English. In the same year, UCSF came to do baking classes and basic IT class. There was also a chance for women in homestay operations to have hospitality exposure at Hilton KK.
3. Manual Rice Transplanter Training were also given in 2017 to help the men which evolved to
System of Rice Intensification Workshop and Plant Propagation Training in 2018. Borneo Eco
Tours also held a Kiulu Nature Guide Training with Borneo Eco Tours specialist guides.
4. A bamboo house homestay competition was held with 5 participants in 2018. Along with the
bamboo houses, participants created a whole ‘kampung experience’ by incorporating cultural
performances and activities in their stay. Seeing as the experience was unique and special, the
winning homestays were marketed under Borneo Eco Tours tour package.
5. Borneo Eco Tours with BEST Society sponsored 4 members of MUKEST Society for a study trip
to Bali in 2019 for a Bamboo Capacity Building and homestay training course. This trip opened
the doors for MUKEST Society to undertake 5 big bamboo projects in the next years namely,
‘Tech Me Home PROPEX Bamboo Art Installation, National Visual Art Gallery (NIVAG) Bamboo
Art Installation (Bamboo Chimes), Kiulu Valley Hub, bamboo straws and Rasa Rai Shangri-la
Christmas bamboo lights crafts.
6. Aside from the exciting activities, events were also held at Kiulu Farmstay. On the 25th August
2022 at Kiulu Farmstay was selected as venue for the final contestants of Miss World 2022,
Miss Grand International 2022 and Miss Supranational 2023 visited Kiulu Farmstay to
implement their corporate social responsibility (CSR) project with Hilton Kota Kinabalu’s
‘Travel with a Purpose’ in collaboration with BEST Society, Borneo Eco Tours and the MUKEST
Community of Ulu Kiulu.
7. Green’ Christmas tree project at Shangri-La Rasa Ria Resort, Tuaran. MUKEST handcrafted 27
bamboo lanterns.
8. A bamboo straw business as initiated to make bamboo straws to replace the use of plastic
straws. A total of RM40,475 was raised from the sale of bamboo straws and pouch.
Since 2015, tourism activity in the Kiulu area has grown significantly with many new tourism products like homestays and farmstay operators along with countless new tourism activities like paddy planting, fish spa, fishing, hiking, handicraft making, playing traditional games and many others.
Borneo Eco Tours is excited to embark on Phase 2, namely, to hand back the primary responsibility to the local community members to operate their own products and enjoy its benefits. It is Borneo Eco Tours vision that the Kiulu community-based tourism success relies on the support of the wider tourism industry partners and players and not just with Borneo Eco Tours.
The investment and capacity building to equip Kiulu locals with tourism knowledge required for catering food, tourist accommodation, supply of handicrafts and souvenirs, and leading and guiding tours in both English and Bahasa Malaysia has successfully allowed the Kiulu community to become self-reliant and capable of handling tourists, both domestic and international.
Borneo Eco Tours is happy to hand over the assets worth more than RM270,000.00 to the two landowners of Kiulu Farmstay as Borneo Eco Tours.
Borneo Eco Tours will continue to support Kiulu Farmstay in assisting in the promotion and selling of the tourism products at Kiulu, including the local homestays there through its expertise in digital marketing and social media.
ABOUT MUKEST
Mukim Ulu Kiulu Ecotourism Solutions and Technologies (MUKEST) Society is a community-based organisation that was set up by BEST Society in 2016. The community in Ulu Kiulu who make up the members of MUKEST are multi-talented individuals. Besides being involved in the tourism scene, their skills vary from bamboo carpentry, handicraft and providing local experiences through food.
MUKEST serves as a platform to boost economic growth and improve the livelihoods of local people. The organisation initially comprised of 3 villages in Ulu Kiulu; Kg. Mantob, Kg. Dumpiring and Kg. Pinagon Baru, which are the main villages that steer the additional 10 villages.
After workshops and gaining exposure abroad, the MUKEST members shared their experiences and knowledge with the rest of the village folk as many were interested in improving their craft.
MUKEST LADIES GROUP
MUKEST is also blessed with highly capable women who are skilled in sewing and embroidery. This group of ladies aren’t limited just to making handicraft but also actively sought out other ways to gain income. During the pandemic, the MUKEST Women’s group prepared traditional dishes as an alternative way to generate side income. Ongoing products handcrafted by the ladies consist of pouches and jewellery.
Together with UPCycled Shack, reusable Fabric Face Mask were hand sewn and sold multiple organizations as corporate gifts and souvenirs. Jannefer Maratin, a native of Kiulu, guided by Tressie Yap to produce accessories for Miss Earth Malaysia pageantry.
The income of villagers employed at Kiulu Farmstay comes from Borneo Eco Tours, who also contributes part of its income to MUKEST Society. Visitors who purchase any Kiulu Farmstay product, such as staying in a homestay or the Fig Tree ecolodge, camping, or riding the quad bike there, will contribute to the Community Development Contribution (CDC) that will go directly to MUKEST. MUKEST will continue to oversee the CDC fund and makes sure that it benefits the village communities that it covers.
ABOUT BEST SOCIETY
Borneo Ecotourism Solutions and Technologies Society better known as BEST Society is the NGO arm of Borneo Eco Tours (BET). Registered in April 2007 under the Society Act 1966. BEST Society operates differently to most NGOs. A percentage of revenue generated from Borneo Eco Tours and Sukau Rainforest Lodge are then channelled to BEST Society to carry out the community and environmental projects in Borneo.
BEST Society started off in 1996 as Sukau Ecotourism Research and Development Center (SERDC), a division of BET with traditional concepts of giving back. Initially, its projects focused on providing free water tanks and medical assistance to villages in rural parts of Sabah, as well as initiating tree planting activities.
However, over the years, the organisation went through a paradigm shift, and now approaches rural development with an empowering perspective. Its intentional move from being a charity organisation to a non-profit focusing on social entrepreneurship led it to receive the UNWTO Ulysses Award for Innovation in Non-Governmental Organizations in 2013.
BEST Society wants to be part of the solution to global change and focuses on sustainability, which encompasses the integration of three key pillars: people, planet, and profit. This requires not just a broad approach, but an approach that transcends ‘local matters’, which is why Borneo Eco Tours, Sukau Rainforest Lodge and BEST Society refers to the Sustainable Development Goals its indicators. When the basis of its efforts is contributing towards the shared global agenda of alleviating poverty, protecting the planet, and ensuring prosperity for all, its roles become clearer.
Besides that, BEST Society understands that to improve socio-economic conditions and well- being of local communities, community empowerment and capacity building is crucial for their success. It
reaches out to rural communities in Sabah, by implementing sustainable development initiatives to improve livelihood and quality of life, and to conserve nature for the next generation.
Kiulu Farmstay will continue to be a big part of BEST Society and success story. Some of its recent projects includes a partnership with HUTAN to set up artificial hornbill boxes for hornbill bird conservation, acquiring a 7.7-acre parcel of land for conservation named Borneo Land Conservancy as well as setting up the Sukau Ecotourism Research Centre to facilitate research in the area.
For more information please do contact:
Press Contact: Faizatul Sham
016-552-2228
faizatul@borneoecotours.com