"This green badge programme is a good basic foundation for guides but they have to take it to the next level with field experience, observation and also learning from experienced guides," said Irshad Mobarak, 46, a naturalist and nature guide in Langkawi Island with 15 years of guiding experience.
Individuals who come from diverse backgrounds but share a common bond in being guardians of the nation’s heritage are this year’s Amazing Malaysians.
KUALA TERENGGANU: It’s time the tourism industry cast an eagle eye on the northern frontier to promote bird-watching. While Taman Negara, Pahang, and Fraser’s Hill are popular havens for bird watchers, several spots in the northern states have equally good potential for such activities.
The five Amazing Malaysians selected for their brilliant heritage programmes are (from left) Irshad, Pak Saad, Joan, Judeth and Voon Fee. Be amazed at what they do. DEBRA CHONG and SU AZIZ write on the aspirations of five outstanding individuals.
One of Malaysia’s most accessible and beautiful tropical islands, Pulau Langkawi’s sun-drenched tropical climate, white powdered and black volcanic beaches, and welcoming people make it a popular tourist destination. However, there’s more to Langkawi life than beach-bumming, as Rowena Forbes discovered...
Program DiGi Telecommunications Disertai 20 Pelajar Sekolah Sekitar Langkawi Teroka Hutan Simpan Gunung Machinchang. Langkawi : Pemuliharaan hutan bukan saja membantu menyediakan kehidupan yang lebih sempurna, malah dapat mengekalkan khazanah flora dan fauna serta alam semulajadi lain untuk diwarisi generasi akan datang.
As a young boy, Irshad Mobarak often accompanied his father into the wilderness. “Those were the best times of my life, and the love for nature became ingrained in me,’’ says Irshad, the ninth child in a family of 10.
Parts of Pulau Langkawi just got greener, with fruit-bearing trees being recently planted to nurture wildlife. Three HSBC Bank Malaysia Bhd staff members – Jennifer Leong, Leong Li Yim and Kee Thuan Lye – got the project off with help from Langkawi nature tour group Natural History Expeditions and Malaysian Nature Society (MNS)
From a seed planted six months ago, a group of young environmentalists are, today, taking charge of their island home. THERE were no stars that night but the children dazzled. Fully charged, 100 of them recited poems, sang songs and danced on the beach, marking the completion of an environmental programme and the start of a new chapter in their lives.
They learn to plant saplings the correct way. About 100 primary and secondary students in Langkawi fell in love with the wildlife after spending their weekends jungle-trekking on the island with naturalist Irshad Mobarak. And this went for six months.
He held the mud crab still with his bare feet whilst deftly tying up the claws with a length of pink raffia. Job done, the fisherman tossed his catch into a bucket. On our request the second fisherman sorted us out half a dozen choice crabs and a bargain was done. Our two boats parted company and we left the fishermen to their work.
"Green growth" has recently become a popular topic. Can we go "green" simply through a combination of technology, finance and free markets, or are we avoiding the real issues? Do "green" and "growth" always go together? Central to the notion of growth is "more". If we are talking about finite resources and its limitations, how can we pursue growth indefinitely? Shouldn’t we instead strive for development that is fair, sustainable and empowers the majority?
In Langkawi a nature adventure had a true-blue naturalist as their guide. The guides name is Irshad Mobarak. Dubbed the Jungle-wallah (Jungle-fellow) of Langkawi he is perfect for the job as he possesses vast knowledge about Langkawis wildlife, gleaned from years of trekking and observation of its jungles, mangroves and wildlife.
A little luxury, a little adventure: that was what I wanted from a holiday in Malaysia. The country's appeal had taken hold years back when I had read about the "Jungle Line" train that runs north-east from Kuala Lumpur through spectacular mountains and rainforest.
“There are 10 hornbill species in Kedah,” he said, adding that five years ago, an astonishing 142 Great Hornbills were seen at one location, creating a national record for Langkawi. He said Langkawi boasted more than 226 species of birds and in the last decade, was popular among bird watchers from Japan, Singapore, Taiwan, Hong Kong, England and Scandinavia.
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