TAWAU: Until two decades ago, the mysterious allure of the Maliau Basin was pure conjecture as no one had dared to set foot in it, not even the indigenous tribes living on the fringes.
It was not until a group of researchers braved the unknown almost 20 years ago that its natural wonders have slowly been unveiled.
And what amazing treasures they have turned out to be, with what is believed to be 10 new species of flora and fauna discovered on the latest expedition.
If all goes well, future generations will be able to discover for themselves the richness of "Sabah’s Lost World".
Efforts are now under way to have it recognised as a World Heritage Site. However, the process is long and arduous as scientific data will have to be compiled and presented to reflect its universal value.
The recent 10-day expedition, jointly organised by the Academy of Sciences Malaysia (ASM) and Yayasan Sabah, hopes to help achieve this aim.
The expedition, which ended on Saturday, could be considered historic as it not only brought together the largest group of researchers but it also covered the northwestern part of the basin which has never been studied.
Expedition leader Prof Ibrahim Komoo of ASM said the expedition aims to come up with several books on its findings, which could be used in proposals to get the basin listed as a World Heritage Site.
"To get Maliau Basin listed as a World Heritage Site, we not only need a lot of scientific information but we must package the information in such a way that it reflects the basin’s universal value, and not just its national value," he said at the Belian Camp at the Maliau Basin Conservation Area.
Belian Camp is about six hours by road from Tawau.
Since 1998, Yayasan Sabah has been carrying out the day-to-day management of Maliau Basin on behalf of an inter-agency Maliau Basin Management Committee.
The committee was established in April 1998 to advise the State Government on policies regarding all aspects of the management of the Maliau Basin Conservation Area.
Ibrahim said laboratory and comparative work would have to be done to verify the 10 new species of flora and fauna that were discovered during the expedition.
"Researchers discovered what they believe to be new gingers, orchids, mosses and some invertebrates.
"This is based on preliminary findings and it can take from several weeks to a year to confirm if these species are new."
The latest expedition covered four areas — flora, fauna, physical and landscape, and water and aquatic life — the first time diverse topics were explored within a single outing.
"Normally, expeditions focus on flora and fauna but we decided to expand the field of study to include water and aquatic life and the physical aspects so that we can better understand the basin.
"Geologically, this is a unique basin in terms of formation, as it is relatively sheltered from the surrounding areas.
"The physical barrier and difficulty in accessing the basin makes the flora and fauna there unique.
"Physical landscape and biological diversity are closely linked," Ibrahim said.
He said the ASM chose Maliau Basin for the first leg of its series of expeditions over the next five years as it is still relatively unknown.
"It is one of the best places for an expedition because it is isolated and requires thorough logistics.
"We picked an area never studied before and this allowed scientists to discover new things. It took us three years to plan the trip," he said.
Expedition co-head Dr Waidi Sinun of Yayasan Sabah said unlike Mount Kinabalu, which had been studied extensively since the 1950s, there was still a lot to be learned about Maliau Basin.
"When we say the basin is unique, we need to back it up with scientific data.
"We still lack knowledge on the basin so that is why this expedition has been so significant. This is also the first time we have covered montane forest within the basin."
Waidi, who is Yayasan Sabah Research and Development group general manager, said only one-sixth of the 390 square kilometre basin had been studied.
It was not until a group of researchers braved the unknown almost 20 years ago that its natural wonders have slowly been unveiled.
And what amazing treasures they have turned out to be, with what is believed to be 10 new species of flora and fauna discovered on the latest expedition.
If all goes well, future generations will be able to discover for themselves the richness of "Sabah’s Lost World".
Efforts are now under way to have it recognised as a World Heritage Site. However, the process is long and arduous as scientific data will have to be compiled and presented to reflect its universal value.
The recent 10-day expedition, jointly organised by the Academy of Sciences Malaysia (ASM) and Yayasan Sabah, hopes to help achieve this aim.
The expedition, which ended on Saturday, could be considered historic as it not only brought together the largest group of researchers but it also covered the northwestern part of the basin which has never been studied.
Expedition leader Prof Ibrahim Komoo of ASM said the expedition aims to come up with several books on its findings, which could be used in proposals to get the basin listed as a World Heritage Site.
"To get Maliau Basin listed as a World Heritage Site, we not only need a lot of scientific information but we must package the information in such a way that it reflects the basin’s universal value, and not just its national value," he said at the Belian Camp at the Maliau Basin Conservation Area.
Belian Camp is about six hours by road from Tawau.
Since 1998, Yayasan Sabah has been carrying out the day-to-day management of Maliau Basin on behalf of an inter-agency Maliau Basin Management Committee.
The committee was established in April 1998 to advise the State Government on policies regarding all aspects of the management of the Maliau Basin Conservation Area.
Ibrahim said laboratory and comparative work would have to be done to verify the 10 new species of flora and fauna that were discovered during the expedition.
"Researchers discovered what they believe to be new gingers, orchids, mosses and some invertebrates.
"This is based on preliminary findings and it can take from several weeks to a year to confirm if these species are new."
The latest expedition covered four areas — flora, fauna, physical and landscape, and water and aquatic life — the first time diverse topics were explored within a single outing.
"Normally, expeditions focus on flora and fauna but we decided to expand the field of study to include water and aquatic life and the physical aspects so that we can better understand the basin.
"Geologically, this is a unique basin in terms of formation, as it is relatively sheltered from the surrounding areas.
"The physical barrier and difficulty in accessing the basin makes the flora and fauna there unique.
"Physical landscape and biological diversity are closely linked," Ibrahim said.
He said the ASM chose Maliau Basin for the first leg of its series of expeditions over the next five years as it is still relatively unknown.
"It is one of the best places for an expedition because it is isolated and requires thorough logistics.
"We picked an area never studied before and this allowed scientists to discover new things. It took us three years to plan the trip," he said.
Expedition co-head Dr Waidi Sinun of Yayasan Sabah said unlike Mount Kinabalu, which had been studied extensively since the 1950s, there was still a lot to be learned about Maliau Basin.
"When we say the basin is unique, we need to back it up with scientific data.
"We still lack knowledge on the basin so that is why this expedition has been so significant. This is also the first time we have covered montane forest within the basin."
Waidi, who is Yayasan Sabah Research and Development group general manager, said only one-sixth of the 390 square kilometre basin had been studied.
Courtesy of New Straits Times
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