MARRIOTT BUSINESS COUNCIL EAST MALAYSIA AND DANAU GIRANG FIELD CENTRE JOIN FORCES TO REVITALISE SK TAMPASAK KINARUT

 

A collaborative community initiative brings together four Sabah Marriott properties to create a safer, more conducive and inspiring learning environment for students in Papar

KOTA KINABALU, SABAH | 30 SEPTEMBER 2026

The spirit of hospitality is extending beyond hotel doors and into the wider Sabah community, as Marriott International properties across the state, through the Marriott Business Council (MBC) East Malaysia, join forces with Danau Girang Field Centre (DGFC) in a community initiative to revitalise Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) Tampasak Kinarut, Papar.

The initiative brings together four Marriott properties in Sabah: Le Méridien Kota Kinabalu, Kota Kinabalu Marriott Hotel, Sheraton Kota Kinabalu and Fairfield by Marriott Kota Kinabalu, reflecting a collective commitment to community engagement and meaningful local impact.

At the heart of the initiative is a simple but significant ambition: to create a school environment where students can learn, develop and pursue their aspirations in surroundings that are safer, more welcoming and better equipped to support their potential.

The collaboration was marked by a ribbon-cutting ceremony involving representatives from the school, education authorities, Marriott hotels and Danau Girang Field Centre.

The ceremony brought together Mr Ian Bryan Tambud, Parent’s and Teachers Association representative; Ms Emmilda Saideh, Assistant District Education Officer; Mr Nauman Hasan, General Manager of Sheraton Kota Kinabalu; Mr Sarih@ Asirun bin Biatan, Headmaster of SK Tampasak; Mr Suresh Ramasamy, General Manager of Le Méridien Kota Kinabalu; and Audrey Adella Umbol, General Manager of Danau Girang Field Centre.

Hospitality With a Wider Purpose

Marriott Business Councils bring together hotel leaders within a city or region to strengthen collaboration, advance shared values and mobilise collective action around business and community priorities.

For the SK Tampasak initiative, that collective model has translated into the pooling of people, expertise and resources to address tangible needs within a local school community.

Suresh Ramasamy, General Manager of Le Méridien Kota Kinabalu and Marriott Business Council lead for East Malaysia, said the responsibility of hoteliers extends beyond the guest experience created within their properties.

“Our responsibility as hoteliers extends beyond the experiences we create within our hotels. We are also part of the community in which we operate.”

He noted that students at SK Tampasak have demonstrated considerable potential, particularly through their sporting achievements, and expressed the hope that the initiative would provide them with a safer and more conducive environment in which to learn, grow and succeed.

The broader philosophy also reflects a growing emphasis within hospitality on community engagement and destination responsibility. Marriott International has recently highlighted collaboration, sustainability and destination-led experiences as important elements of its wider Malaysia business-events ecosystem. (BERNAMA)

A School With Talent and Determination

Located in Kinarut, Papar, approximately 28 kilometres from Kota Kinabalu, SK Tampasak currently serves 412 students and 31 teachers.

The school operates a single school session and, according to the project's initial assessment, had not previously received corporate CSR assistance.

Despite limitations in some of its facilities, the school has established a notable record in sports.

Students have competed at district, state and national levels, with representatives taking part in badminton and, more recently, rugby at state level. The school also continues to meet its academic performance indicators while placing emphasis on character development through sports.

These achievements became an important consideration in selecting SK Tampasak for the initiative.

Rather than simply addressing physical shortcomings, the collaboration recognises a school community that has already demonstrated talent, determination and ambition. The objective is to improve the physical environment so that students and educators have stronger conditions in which to continue progressing.

Transforming the Physical Learning Environment

Initial assessments identified several areas requiring attention, including deteriorated handrails and weathered common areas.

Following a joint site visit involving representatives from DGFC and Marriott, the programme was refined to focus primarily on improvements to two classroom blocks.

The proposed works include:

• Repairs to damaged ceiling sections

• Restoration and replacement of deteriorated handrails

• Inspection and upgrading of electrical wiring

• Replacement of worn wooden flooring

• Repainting of classroom common areas and walkways

Several of these works are intended to address immediate safety considerations. The assessment identified severely oxidised and damaged handrails with sharp edges along student staircases and pathways, alongside worn wooden flooring and electrical systems in older classroom blocks that require attention.

For Nauman Hasan, General Manager of Sheraton Kota Kinabalu, the initiative demonstrates what can be achieved when several organisations combine their resources and expertise.

“The strength of the Marriott Business Council lies in what we can accomplish collectively.”

He emphasised that the participating properties may each have their own identities, but share a common commitment to serving their communities. Through associates, engineering knowledge, resources and partners such as Danau Girang Field Centre, the collaboration aims to create practical and sustainable impact.

From Conservation to Community

While Danau Girang Field Centre is widely associated with scientific research and wildlife conservation in Sabah, its involvement in the initiative reflects another dimension of its work: education, capacity-building and community engagement.

DGFC's current work includes conservation research, environmental education and public-awareness programmes, including initiatives designed to inspire younger generations to understand and protect Sabah's biodiversity. (Danau Girang)

For the SK Tampasak project, DGFC played an important role in identifying community needs and conducting the initial and subsequent assessments, helping translate observations from the school into a practical programme of work.

Audrey Umbol, General Manager of Danau Girang Field Centre, said the connection between conservation, education and community development ultimately comes down to people.

“Young people, in particular, need environments that encourage curiosity, confidence and ambition.”

She added that SK Tampasak had already demonstrated what its students are capable of achieving, and expressed DGFC's hope that the partnership would continue beyond the physical improvements to the school.

Beyond a One-Time Project

Perhaps one of the most meaningful elements of the initiative is that the partnership is not designed to end when the refurbishment works are completed.

The programme includes quarterly visits to SK Tampasak, creating opportunities for future educational campaigns, awareness talks and other student-focused community activities involving DGFC and Marriott associates.

This longer-term approach gives the collaboration room to develop from a physical refurbishment programme into an ongoing relationship with students, teachers and the wider school community.

An initial budget of approximately RM25,000 to RM30,000 has been proposed for improvements to the two classroom blocks, with the final scope and cost subject to technical assessment and prevailing material requirements.

Major physical works are intended to be carried out during the school holidays to minimise disruption to lessons and maintain student safety while the improvements are underway.

Building a Better Future, One Classroom at a Time

The SK Tampasak initiative represents a different expression of hospitality: one measured not by the number of rooms occupied or meals served, but by the communities touched beyond the walls of a hotel.

For the Marriott Business Council East Malaysia and Danau Girang Field Centre, the project is an opportunity to transform collaboration into something tangible: safer pathways, improved classrooms, better shared spaces and continued engagement with a generation of Sabah students already showing the determination to compete and achieve.

For SK Tampasak, the ambition is ultimately even more fundamental.

It is about ensuring that the environment in which children learn can match the potential they have already demonstrated, giving students and teachers safer spaces, better learning conditions and a stronger platform from which to continue aspiring and competing at district, state and national levels.

And perhaps that is where the true meaning of hospitality lies: not simply creating places for people to stay, but helping create places where people can grow.

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PHOTO CAPTION

Ribbon-cutting ceremony at SK Tampasak Kinarut, Papar, marking the community collaboration between Marriott Business Council East Malaysia, four Marriott properties in Sabah and Danau Girang Field Centre to improve the school's facilities and learning environment. From left: Mr Ian Bryan Tambud, Parent’s and Teachers Association representative; Ms Emmilda Said, Assistant District Education Officer; Mr Nauman Hasan, General Manager of Sheraton Kota Kinabalu; Mr Sarih@ Asirun bin Biatan, Headmaster of SK Tampasak; Mr Suresh Ramasamy, General Manager of Le Méridien Kota Kinabalu; and Audrey Adella Umbol, General Manager of Danau Girang Field Centre.

Source: Marriott Business Council East Malaysia & Danau Girang Field Centre press release, 30 September 2026.