GOOD THINGS on MABUL ISLAND

Good Things Come in Small Packages - is a common saying. And… this reminds me of Mabul.  This small oval shaped island is located at the south-eastern coast of the east Malaysian state of Sabah.

Yes, Mabul is small - but the island is known to the world. Mabul Island is the main gateway to the world renowned Sipadan Island. Located 15 km from Sipadan, Mabul itself is well recognised as one of the best “muck diving” sites in the world. Its unique marine life is arguably one of the richest single destinations for exotic small marine life anywhere in the world.

 The 20-hectare island surfaces 5-10 meters above sea level and consists mostly of flat ground. Surrounding it are sandy beaches and it is perched on the northwest corner of a larger 2 square kilometer reef with nice scene of swaying coconut trees and a pleasant water village.

A grandma with her grandchildren

The people are small too…No, they are not midgets…I mean they are not fat. Walking around the fishermen village, I realised that the word “obesity” may not exist in their life. Most of the people I met, be it men or women or children, are all slim, but not skinny. I was told that, it is because of their diet which basically is fish.

Fishermen Village

Being a first timer on the island, I can’t help noticing that the houses are practically all small…compared to those in the traditional or fishermen kampongs in West Malaysia. But, they certainly are not poor.
The fact is that life on the island is simple and self-sufficient. The sea out there is loaded with fresh seafood. There are sundry shops, a government-run primary school, a religious school, a mosque and a few popular stalls selling pisang goreng (banana fritters). But, where is the clinic?
I was told that there is no government clinic on the island and children are born at home. Thus, many parents here did not go through the process of getting an official birth certificate for their children. It seems that these children without necessary documents are not accepted into the government school. Thus, these “stateless children” attended an informal education centre started by Stanley Sie, who runs the SphereDivers Lodge.

A lady selling satay

Pisang goreng stall

Preparing baits for fishing

  One obvious thing you will notice is that there are a lot of children on the island which has a population of about 3,000 people. Be it day or night, you will see children wandering aimlessly roaming the street and the sea of Mabul. 

My observation says half the populations are children, but NO,. I was told that about one-third of the populations are children below 14. 

The sea is their playground.

Selling crabs

The sea is the playground of the kids here. At young age, they play and swim in the sea like a pro. All boys and girls seem to know how to peddle a boat. Some kids peddled around the resorts seeking tourists to ask for money or snacks. Most of them, young and old, loved having their photographs taken. “Please DO NOT give them food or money,” warned Stanley. According to him, once given, more kids will come after me. Imagine that!

20 sen each packet

Interestingly, there are numerous sundry shops along the main alley between houses which has become the “highway” to local people.  Shops here sell cooking oil, sugar, detergent, fabric softener, soya sauce, tomato sauce and chili sauce in small 20 sen tube-like plastic packets. A shopowner told me that small packets are more practical for the locals as not everyone can afford to buy things in big packages. On top of that, they don’t have proper and enough space for storage. In fact, these small packets are also practical for the tourists who would only spend a few days on the island.

Fried noodle for 20sen

Not only that, curry puffs here are different from those normally found in most part of Malaysia, a pastry with potato fillings. Here in Mabul, the curry puff has friend noodles filling. There are also priced at 20 sen each. A small packet of fried noodle is also sold at 20 sen. A lady selling these foods told me that the children are her customers and they can only afford to buy small packets.

Fishing in the morning, relaxing in the afternoon

Obviously, Mabul is a lively Island with many children and young people. The village started from around 1976 with only about 50 houses. The villagers then started building the surau for prayers. Since then, people have been coming and settling on the island. Today, there are estimated 450 houses on the island. The two main ethnic groups here are the Suluks and the Bajaus. The Bajaus themselves are divided between the more settled Bajau Darat and the nomadic Bajau Laut also known as Sea Gypsies.  Electricity in the village only comes on when the sun starts to go down, and only lasts through the night.

The home to Sea Gypsies

Mabul Island is half-an-hour by speedboat from Semporna Town. From Mabul Island to Sipadan Island is about 15 minutes boat journey.

Sipadan is protected from overnight stays, thus, Mabul became the main choice of accommodation for the Sipadan tourists. A number of resorts and homestays on Mabul Island were built to cater the tourists’ accommodation and also to provide diving and snorkeling services.

A double rainbow??? No, it is not camera trick...--taken from the SphereDivers Lodge

I see and learn a lot from the island and its people. My trip to Mabul was awesome!

Yes, There are good and interesting things on the small island of Mabul.