By: Rosli Mansor Ahmad Razali
PULAU SEMBILAN: The decline of coral reef cover, a vital habitat for marine life, has prompted the Perak State Parks Corporation (PTNPk) to intensify its conservation efforts through the Pulau Sembilan State Park Conservation Programme 2026, held here today.
PTNPk director Lau Ching Fong said the coral propagation initiative is a proactive measure to restore damaged reef areas while safeguarding the long-term sustainability of the marine ecosystem.
He said healthy coral reefs not only provide habitats for diverse marine species, but also play a crucial role in sustaining fisheries and strengthening food security.
“We are rebuilding homes for marine life. What we are doing today is a long-term investment to ensure our marine ecosystem remains protected for future generations,” he said during the programme.
The annual programme was officiated by the Raja Di Hilir of Perak, Raja Iskandar Dzurkarnain, who took part in deploying coral propagation structures, planting ambong-ambong coastal trees on Pulau Lalang and inspecting the beach clean-up activities.
The programme also focused on planting ambong-ambong trees, coastal clean-up efforts and patrols around Pulau Sembilan to strengthen the conservation of marine and coastal ecosystems.
The activities were carried out in collaboration with the Marine Department Malaysia, the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA), the Nature and Oceanography Advocate Society (NOAS), Sembilan Diver, Persatuan Aktivis Sahabat Alam (KUASA), the Lions Club of Ipoh Centennial and the Manjung District and Land Office.
Lau said the programme’s success demonstrated that effective conservation requires a whole-of-society approach, bringing together government agencies, non-governmental organisations, local communities and volunteers to ensure marine conservation efforts remain sustainable and continuous.
