Table of Contents
Mide, RHB join hands to educate about sea conservation
As Mide (Malaysia International Dive Expo) celebrates its 20 years of excellence, it has also opened its gates to RHB as its largest partner while honouring its legacy and inspiring future generations of ocean advocates as well as explorers.
Diving for sustainability
Speaking to theSun, RHB Islamic Bank’s managing director Datuk Adissadikin Ali said the bank is moving towards sustainability.
“In general, people would conserve anything above the land because we are all human. Very few people would venture down there.”
He said diving was picked as a means of conservation because the sea is “God’s gift” and to tell its story, there is no better community than the divers.
“That’s why we are targeting divers. So that divers, together with us, (can) tell this story to the public.”
Henceforth, this venture centres on education – as Adissadikin puts it, “we are educating not just the divers, but the non-divers as well.”
This intention makes this collaboration an educational one that is meant to further RHB’s efforts of sustainability.
Education and inclusion
For RHB x Mide, literacy of sustainability and conservation also means inclusivity – where education extends to marginalised communities such as people with disabilities.
“We also help disabled people who want to be part of (the narrative). That’s why we are in a partnership with an organisation called Dive Heart Malaysia, which certifies disabled people to go and dive.”
This collaboration is commemorated with an exclusive recycled plastic debit card, the first in the Asia Pacific. The RHBVisa Ocean Harmoni Debit Card-i is an initiative to support marine life and to make a historical and affirmative action to push the agenda of sea conservation. It enables digital cashless funding that is in line with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal #14.
A global diving ecosystem key regional hub, Midealso brought together manufacturers, dive professionals, tourism boards, marine agencies, educators, conservation groups, watersports operators and ocean enthusiasts at the Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre from June 5 to 7.
Leading a legacy
Themed “Forged by the Ocean – Two Decades of Passion, Purpose and Protection”, Mide centres itself as an important key player in advancing the diving industry as it leads communities towards ocean conservation, sustainable marine practices and public awareness of the underwater world.
It continues its legacy as the expo featured 212 exhibiting companies from Malaysia and 13 countries, with 17 international exhibitors of the latest dive equipment, world-class dive destinations, marine tourism products and cutting-edge underwater innovations.
Making the event more meaningful, its signature Forums &Talks made a comeback, as its panel of respected international and regional speakers were invited to create important discussions that will continue to shape the future of diving, marine tourism, ocean education and underwater exploration.
Two discussions on Dive Training and Public Safety Diving included:
◙ The Dive Training panel, moderated by Nick Hogle, saw Vincent Lai (SSI Instructor Trainer) and Anand Chandra Sekaran (Padi Course Director) discuss evolving standards of diver readiness, competencies and certification preparation.
◙ The Public Safety, moderated by a Naui representative under the theme “Positioning Malaysia as Asean’s Public Safety Diving Leader”, convened the Fire and Rescue Department of Malaysia, Royal Malaysia Police Special Action Unit, Malaysia Maritime Enforcement Agency and Sultan Ahmad Shah Maritime Academy, focusing on operational capability, inter-agency collaboration and the advancement of structured training and infrastructure to strengthen Malaysia’s regional role.
Beyond diving, Mide dips its toes into watersports, boating and sailing, uniting diverse ocean enthusiasts through a shared passion.
The event also brought back its Pool Try-Dive Experience by popular demand, allowing first-time divers, families and students to learn about scuba diving from a trained instructor.
Some highlights of the events included diving destinations packages across Malaysia (Semporna, Sipadan, Mabul, Mataking, Kapalai and etc.)and abroad (Philippines and Indonesia) – as well as rare wreck diving experiences in Brunei and Labuan at largely untouched underwater heritage sites.
There was also a Raja Ampat liveaboard launch that offered exclusive small-group expeditions with curated routes and unique land experiences.
Staying committed
Ensuring Mide’s efforts, along with its partners, continue, its director Ness Puvanes said: “Mide is expanding its vision beyond an annual expo to create greater impact for the diving, tourism and marine industries through platforms that drive business growth, collaboration and regional connectivity.
“In line with this, the Mide Dive Tourism & Trade Exchange will be launched alongside Mide 2027 as a dedicated business-to-business platform positioning Malaysia as a regional hub for dive tourism trade in Southeast Asia.
“The initiative will bring together dive operations, tourism boards, travel buyers, destination representatives, resorts, liveaboards, industry suppliers and key stakeholders from across the region to foster networking, partnerships, business matching, market access and knowledge exchange, further strengthening Mide’s role as a catalyst for industry and tourism development in the region. Further details will be announced in due course.”
READ MORE:
8 quirky national fruits, animals worldwide
7 hidden nature escapes in Malaysia worth the journey
The hidden 2,000-year-old industrial empire of Sungai Batu
