TIOMAN, July 13 — Pulau Tioman became the first island in Malaysia to submerge light rail transit (LRT) replica coaches as artificial reefs, a milestone recognised by the Malaysia Book of Records (MBOR) in the Buildings and Structures category.

The Sultan of Pahang, Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah 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, Al-Sultan Abdullah expressed hope that the initiative set forth by Yayasan Al-Sultan Abdullah (YASA) would have a positive impact on the resort island’s tourism sector.

"I hope this 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,” said the Pahang Sultan.

At the same time, His Royal Highness 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 earlier got me really excited, and we’ll set up another visit to Pulau Tioman in the near future, insya-Allah,” 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 a safe condition and prevent any incidents involving divers.

Meanwhile, YASA general manager Mohd Fakhrul Islam Juhali said that the effort to submerge the two LRT coaches involved 60 divers, led by Tengku Panglima Raja Brigadier General Tengku Amir Nasser Ibrahim Shah.

According to him, the key objective of this programme is to establish a new reef site on the island.

"This site is designed to enhance the sustainability of marine biodiversity by creating breeding grounds for fish and other marine life.

"We also hope that this dive site will boost the local economy by drawing more tourists to Pulau Tioman,” he said.

Mohd Fakhrul Islam said that Pulau Tioman was selected for this programme due to its rich marine environment and its 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 snorkeling and scuba diving, along with a hiking trail that takes visitors to a breathtaking waterfall,” he said. — Bernama