I learned from my 28-day training at Outward Bound School (OBS) Malaysia in Teluk Batik that engaging in underwater activities and sports offers a unique blend of physical conditioning, mental restoration, and low-impact movement. Because water provides natural buoyancy and resistance, submerging oneself for sport or fitness places a different set of positive demands on our body compared to land-based exercises. Especially, scuba diving is more than merely an adventurous recreational activity. It offers a unique combination of physical exercise, mental relaxation & mindful connection with living nature. From controlled breathing to weightless movement underwater, scuba diving supports both physical fitness and emotional wellbeing in ways few other activities can.
As such, I am amazed when my good friend & former colleague at Malaysia Airlines (MAS), Datuk Abdul Samad Abdul Rahim who's the Founding President of Safety First Community Malaysia, in responding to my story on “The unique physical properties of water - specially buoyancy and resistance provide physiological advantages” published by newswav.com dated 5th November 2026, revealed that “My team & I have been to Pulau Tioman which is one of Malaysia's premier scuba diving destinations, boasting warm tropical with vibrant coral reefs, shipwrecks & diverse marine life. We are now in Raja Ampat West Papua and back home on 14 November,” I understand Raja Ampat is globally renowned as the crown jewel of marine biodiversity, located at northwest tip of Bird's Head Peninsula in West Papua. It is at the heart of the Coral Triangle, boasts as the richest marine life concentration on Earth, making it a bucket-list destination for scuba divers & snorkelers.
I understand Malaysia is emerging as an increasingly active hub for competitive and recreational underwater sports within Southeast Asia. Backed by its world-class marine biodiversity, strategic geography, and growing institutional support, the landscape for disciplines like underwater hockey and rugby, freediving, fin-swimming, to emerging recreational aquatic environmental activities.
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Zulkifly Baharom (hajizul50@gmail.com) is a content creator under the Newswav Creator programme, where you get to express yourself, be a citizen journalist, and at the same time monetize your content & reach millions of users on Newswav. Log in to creator.newswav.com and become a Newswav Creator now!
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