KOTA KINABALU: The organization of the UMS-Sepanggar Fishing Festival 2026 is seen as a preliminary step to rejuvenate fishing activities and stimulate the economy of the fishing community in Kampung Bangka-Bangka.
Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Food Industry, Datuk Jamawi Jaafar, stated that his ministry fully supports this initiative, which is being carried out in collaboration with Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) and the local fishing community.
“This morning, we launched a fishing competition in partnership with UMS and the fishing community of Kampung Bangka-Bangka. At the ministry level, we are backing this effort to revive fishing activities in this area.
“This is just the beginning. We plan to utilize the fishing boats from this village in the future so that participants can access more suitable fishing locations, while at the same time, fishermen can earn additional income,” he said during the launch of the UMS-Sepanggar Fishing Festival 2026 here today.
Jamawi mentioned that the ministry will continue to collaborate with UMS and the Bangka-Bangka Fishermen’s Association to ensure that fishing activities in the area can be continuously nurtured.
He noted that the organization of this competition not only benefits the fishing community but also aids the welfare of students.
“Through this competition alone, we are contributing approximately RM10,000 to the student kitchen program, specifically to assist underprivileged students,” he said.
He added that the response to the program has been very encouraging, with around 300 participants taking part, exceeding the initial target of 200.
“Participants come from various areas including Brunei, Labuan, and the interior of Sabah, and there are even elderly participants over 60 years old who joined due to their interest in fishing activities,” he said.
Present at the event were the Director of the Corporate Communication Center, Dr. Rizal Zamani Idris; Senior Lecturer at the Borneo Marine Institute (IMB) UMS, Dr. Chong Wei Sheng; and the Program Coordinator who is also the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Sabah News Today (SNT), Zakaria Damit.
