Transformation Efforts in Gaya Island Villages Commended

Datuk Joniston Bangkuai launching the 2025 Project Picaso Art Competition under the Meraki Daat Iniative. Also pictured are Sabah Tourism Board product division senior manager Effendi Mahany (left) and Meraki Daat Initiative president Michelle De La Harpe (3rd left).

1 July 2025

KOTA KINABALU: A vibrant transformation is taking place on Gaya Island, where local water villages are turning their homes into unique, community-led tourism attractions.

Assistant Minister of Tourism, Culture and Environment, Datuk Joniston Bangkuai, has praised the efforts of the Meraki Daat Initiative , a non-governmental organisation, for its active involvement in engaging Gaya Island residents in reimagining their living spaces as community-based tourism destinations.

This initiative follows Joniston’s initial meeting with the group in 2022, during which he encouraged the incorporation of a community-based tourism model to ensure greater local participation and shared economic benefits.

Joniston, who also chairs the Sabah Tourism Board, said the initiative reflects the state’s broader vision to promote sustainable tourism through community-driven efforts that highlight Sabah’s distinctive identity.

On Tuesday, the Meraki Daat Initiative team, led by its President Michelle De La Harpe, provided an update to Joniston on the progress of their ongoing “Project Picasso”, which aims to revitalise water villages and transform them into visually striking, Instagram-worthy destinations.

The project includes the creative painting of stilt houses and close collaboration with the Sabah Tourism Board to promote these communities as tourism sites.

In June, the Sabah Tourism Board facilitated a workshop involving five water villages on Gaya Island: Lok Urai, Torong Logong, Lobong, Kesuapan, and Kampung Pondoh.

Joniston was informed that these villages are now in the process of formally registering themselves as Community-Based Tourism Gaya Island.

“This is a very encouraging step. Pulau Gaya is a unique settlement with its own stories to tell,” Joniston said.

“Developing community-based tourism here will add value for the residents, particularly given the island’s proximity to the city centre.

“However, it is vital to foster a cleaner, safer, and more sustainable tourism environment. Local ownership and active participation are key.”

During the meeting, Joniston also launched the 2025 Project Picasso Art Competition, themed Ocean Creatures, to encourage creative community involvement in beautifying their villages.

Michelle explained that the initiative aims to transform public spaces into lively, community-owned tourism hubs, blending youth development, artistic expression, and environmental sustainability.

“We’re currently constructing a 200-metre pathway to the volleyball court using eco-bricks made from recycled plastic waste,” she said.

“This innovation won last year’s United Nations Development Programme’s Island Waste Innovation Challenge.”

The art competition runs from 30 June to 31 July 2025, with judging scheduled from 1–7 August, followed by a site painting phase from 20–27 August, culminating in the official opening and mural launch on 31 August.

The public can follow the latest updates on the Meraki Daat Initiative via their website, www.merakidaat.org, and social media platforms.