Kota Kinabalu: Sabah’s Tunku Abdul Rahman Park (TARP), founded more than 50 years ago, has made the State a pioneer in marine conservation in Malaysia, predating the national and regional policies that protect the ocean today.
“The TARP is Malaysia’s first marine park, sitting just off the Kota Kinabalu waterfront. It is not only a whale shark sanctuary but also holds an international distinction through a sister park relationship with a national park in South Korea,” said Sabah Parks Director Datuk Dr Maklarin Lakim.
He said this at the opening of the 12th Marine Protected Areas and Coral Triangle Atlas Technical Regional Exchange held at Le Meridien Hotel, a venue from which the marine park is plainly visible across the water.
“Located just a stone’s throw from this hotel. If you are lucky, you might have a good sighting of this whale shark from this hotel,” he said.
The marine park has delivered on that promise on numerous occasions. In April 2024, a whale shark was captured on video off Gaya Island, drawing awe from Chinese tourists aboard a nearby boat.
In April 2023, three whale sharks measuring about five metres each were spotted in Gaya Island waters, with four more arriving the following day. A sighting was also recorded in February 2022.
Gazetted in 1974 and named after Malaysia’s founding prime minister, Tunku Abdul Rahman, the park also carries an international distinction through a sister park agreement signed in May 2024 with Dadohaehaesang National Park in South Korea, linking it to a global network of protected marine areas.
Under the partnership, both parks cooperate on management development, conservation workshops, online seminars and staff capacity building.
Maklarin said participants at the regional exchange, which brought together marine protected area managers and technical experts from six Coral Triangle member countries, will have the opportunity to visit the park during the gathering.
The TARP encompasses five islands, namely Gaya, Sapi, Manukan, Mamutik and Sulug, and lies within 15 minutes by boat from the city’s waterfront. It ranks among the most visited marine protected areas in Malaysia.
In 2025, the marine park welcomed a total of 546,383 tourists, comprising 418,937 international visitors and 127,446 Malaysians, according to official data from the Sabah Parks Dashboard.
