Cintai Redang empowers local communities through marine conservation efforts, including coral rehabilitation, removal of ghost nets, and training local youths as EcoDivers. Learn more about how the initiative promotes conservation while supporting local livelihoods and tourism.

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About Cintai Redang

Cintai Redang is a community-based programme by Reef Check Malaysia, that was established in 2022 to promote sustainable tourism and coral reef rehabilitation on the island.

The ultimate goal of the programme is to empower local communities in protecting and conserving the marine ecosystem of the islands.

About The Island, Redang Island

Among one of the most beautiful islands in Malaysia, Pulau Redang is located off the coast of Terengganu on the East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia. Famous for its white sandy beaches and clear waters, Pulau Redang is one of the nine islands that is part of a marine sanctuary.

Due to its popularity as a tourist destination in Malaysia, most of the accommodations in Pulau Redang are resort-based. The community are made up of fishermen, small business owners, and also mostly depend on the tourism industry.

Fun Fact: The Hong Kong romantic comedy, Summer Holiday was filmed on Pulau Redang!

Redang Marine Conservation Group (RMCG)

Our programmes started with the recruitment of local islander youths to participate in a local marine conservation group. The local marine conservation group is a replica of the successful Tioman Marine Conservation Group (TMCG) that is based in Tioman Island.

These youths will then receive various trainings such as certification as divers and EcoDivers and on marine conservation work.

Local Redang islanders joined the Redang Marine Conservation Group (RMCG)

To date, Cintai Redang has successfully trained 12 local islanders. The new group is called the Redang Marine Conservation Group (RMCG). The RMCG members now regularly carry out marine conservation activities with our Cintai Redang team.

Celebrating its one-year anniversary at the end of 2023, RMCG proudly reports remarkable accomplishments: the rescue of 750 coral fragments, the removal of 274kg of ghost nets, and the elimination of 89 Crown-of-Thorns starfish (COTS), a notorious coral predator.

Ghost nets damage reefs and threaten marine life

The team’s success is also largely attributed to the development of a National Community-based Coral Rehabilitation Toolkit, which was in the works in 2023 and was piloted by RMCG.

The Coral reef Rehabilitation Toolkit

The Reef Rehabilitation Toolkit (The Toolkit) was prepared by Reef Check Malaysia with support from Coralku, Universiti Malaya Terengganu, and Universiti Malaya, and is funded by the National Conservation Trust Fund (NCTF), under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability.

Find out more about the Toolkit here

For any queries on the toolkit, contact us at hello@reefcheck.org.my

Strategic Partner for PLAN Malaysia

PLAN Malaysia is the government of Malaysia’s urban planning body aiming to create quality, flourishing and sustainable living environment by 2030.

The Cintai Redang team was invited to become one of the Strategic Partner for PLAN Malaysia, advising in matters in relation to marine development.

Partners of Terengganu State Park Management Council

Since its inception, Cintai Redang has been working closely with the Terengganu State Park Management Council.

The team has been involved in discussions on ways to improve the management plan of the environment and has conducted various engagement sessions to assess the opinions of all stakeholders on the gazettement of Pulau Rhu as a marine park.

Education and Awareness Programmes

Cintai Redang also signed a Memorandum of Understanding with SK Pulau Redang to promote awareness of coral reef conservation. The team has produced posters on coral reefs, such as what is corals, the threats corals face, how the students can help, and more that now proudly hung on the school board.

The team has also collaborated with various universities in knowledge sharing programmes and to learn more from experts from these institutions.