RONAN KEATING BACKS GAYANA ECO-RESORT CAMPAIGN TO SAVE GIANT CLAMS

KEE@FSWMAG.COM

Pop star Ronan Keating giving a passionate speech about the  importance of the environment and protecting giant clams and coral reefs

Night performance by Ronan Keating at Gayan Eco Resort in Kota Kinabalu


FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MALAYSIAN HISTORY A MAJOR POP STAR AKA RONAN KEATING IS LENDING HIS NAME AND FAME TO SUPPORT A WORTHY CAUSE---SAVING THE  GIANT CLAMS OFF THE WATERS OF SABAH!

POP STAR RONAN KEATING, EX-MEMBER OF HOT BOY BAND BOYZONE AND WORLD FAMOUS FOR THE HIT SINGLE 'WHEN YOU SAY NOTHING AT ALL' WAS IN KOTA KINABALU, SABAH RECENTLY TO VOLUNTEER AS AMBASSADOR TO CAMPAIGN TO PROTECT THE GIANT CLAMS AND RESTORE CORAL REEFS AT SABAH'S ACCLAIMED GAYANA ECO-RESORT.

For the uninformed, Ronan Keating was the singer with Boyzone which was sizzling hot in the 1990s. This recording artist, singer songwriter, musician and now philanthropist joined Boyzone in 1994 and well, you know the rest!

For those who don't, Ronan is the youngest of 5 children. His father was a lorry driver while Mum was a hairdresser who died aged 54 of breast cancer in 1998 which devastated Ronan Keating and he launched Marie Keating Foundation for breast cancer awareness and research.

In 1999 he recorded 'When You Say Nothing At All' for the movie 'Notting Hill'. Both song and movie were sensational and paved the way for Ronan to dump Boyzone for a solo career the  same way Diana Ross ditched The Supremes and Beyonce abandoned Destiny's Child. Well, look at them now. They are still famous and rich and look what happened to their band---disbanded, abandoned and cordoned off from fame and fortune!

Anyway I really  don't see the fuss about 'When You Say Nothing At All' as I think it is a pathetic song. I think he is trying too hard to be clever and failing miserably. What does he mean when he croons 'You say it best, when you say nothing at all'? If this is true, the entire world will be dead silent! No one will sing as this will defeat the dictum of 'when you say nothing at all'! 

However, I LOVE LOVE LOVE his 'Life Is A Roller Coaster' as the lyrics are so true! Life is really a roller coaster with ups and downs and plenty of plateaus! The music is so catchy and meaningful and this song is one of my all time favourites! 

Ronan Keating is a frequent visitor to Malaysia and has stayed several times at Casa del Mar at  Pantai Cenang co-owned by the Sultan of Selangor. 

Unlike some names I can name, Ronan Keating is a thoroughly good guy and has not forgotten his roots. Now that he is rich he is doing his bit. He has volunteered to be ambassador to save the giant clams and coral reefs for free but we need not fret if this Irish hunk has enough to eat and feed his 3 kids. Since going solo in 1999 he has released 9 successful albums and he is worth RM 48 million which is more than what I have so he is doing OK.


It was all fun and games like this work out session with Ronan Keating's fans

Coral planting at MERC

 This is the way to plant corals, one branch at a time

A little merriment goes a long way

Giant clams are getting rarer by the day

Pop Star Ronan Keating Backs

Gayana Eco Resort Campaign Saving Giant Clams on Sabah

Former Boyzone star appeared

at Kota Kinabalu ‘Marine Awareness Month’

(Kota Kinabalu, May 7, 2012) – Celebrity Irish pop star and philanthropist Ronan Keating has volunteered to become an ambassador for a campaign to protect endangered Giant Clams and restore coral reefs at Sabah’s internationally-renowned Gayana Eco Resort.

He made the offer during an appearance supporting ‘Marine Awareness Month’ at the resort near Kota Kinabalu.

Over 1,500 fans flocked to a Marine Awareness Day Beach Party highlight of the event on hearing the former Boyzone lead singer was attending. Also renowned as a judge on Australia’s The X Factor, the star performed at two celebrations at sister resort Bunga Raya Island Resort & Spa – a Ronan Keating Dine & Song private dinner for 300 guests on April 21, and the public beach party on April 22.

Fans young and old waved, danced and sang along to his hits including ‘When You Say Nothing At All’ – the No 1 hit from the movie Notting Hill –  ‘If Tomorrow Never Comes’ and ‘Life Is A Rollercoaster’.

Ronan Keating’s interest in Gayana’s Giant Clam project is associated with his role in the upcoming movie Goddess, in which he plays a marine biologist. His involvement in the cause may even spark a long-term partnership with the resort’s marine efforts.

“It’s nice to be asked to do this, to be involved, and maybe this is something I can be an ambassador for,” Keating said. “Sting has the rainforest, maybe I have the Giant Clams.”

I’m not an authority on this by any means but I'm trying to educate myself and understand it, and it's fantastic to see what they're doing here. We didn’t know that the Giant Clams were becoming extinct. So, I not only hope to raise awareness here, but also bring back the message to Ireland, England and Europe.

“I have a voice that people listen to. Not a singer voice, but more like a celebrity voice.  When you’re in a situation like mine, you have a responsibility to do that; to stand up and speak for those who can’t be heard.

“And I hope that others in my situation will do the same.” 

The month-long initiative from March 22-April 22 at the environmental sanctuary on Gaya Island off the coast of Kota Kinabalu celebrated the return to the wild of revived coral and hand-reared juvenile Giant Clams from Gayana Eco Resort’s pioneering Marine Ecology Research Centre (MERC).

The event marked a major milestone in the resort’s commitment to restore a coral reef ecosystem ravaged by illegal fishing with explosives.

Over the past few years, broken coral fragments that would have died due to lack of sunlight if left on the seafloor have been collected and nurtured at its research centre.

Having stabilised and flourished under care, a thousand fully grown coral have now been transferred to an ‘ocean nursery’ on the island’s reefs.

Marine biologists have also spawned all seven Giant Clams species found in Malaysian waters at the resort’s nursery – an environmental achievement recognised by the Malaysia Book of Records.

Now 500 of these ‘babies’ have also reached a stage where they can survive in the wild and are being transferred to a reef nursery.

Guests at the eco-resort had the exceptional opportunity of participating in the reef restoration, assisting with coral re-planting over the month-long programme.

MERC plays a unique role in Malaysia’s marine environmental efforts and is internationally renowned. The island research station is not only a pioneering centre for reviving coral reefs and coming to the rescue of Giant Clams, which are listed as ‘Vulnerable’ by the international CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) treaty to protect wildlife, but it also sets an inspiring example for global eco-tourism – breeding fish to supply restaurants at Gayana Eco Resort and Bunga Raya Island Resort & Spa, to reduce over fishing and exploitation of wild local populations.

Blending forward thinking ecology and indulgent luxury, Gayana Eco Resort is 10 minutes by private boat from Kota Kinabalu’s Jesselton Point Ferry Terminal, in the South China Sea amid five coral reef islands that make up the Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park.

The resort’s 52 thatch-roof villas are connected to each other by rustic wooden bridges providing the ultimate over-water experience.

With marine conservation at its heart and a PADI certified dive centre, guests of all ages participate in restoring vibrant life back to the local reefs, including children who join a Marine Kids Club. The resort also features a Solace Spa.

Sister property Bunga Raya Island Resort is a secluded island hideaway of 48 timbered villas framed by a white sand beach and virgin rainforest.

About MERC

The Marine Ecology Research Centre (MERC) started off with humble beginnings in 2007 as a learning and educational centre. With passion derived from its owner, MERC pledged to address the increasing threats on marine life, combating its effects by returning to nature what was previously destroyed. Over a span of just a few years, this centre evolved into a research and rehabilitation facility. MERC has also won the Ministry of Tourism Malaysia Award for Most Innovative Tourist Attraction 2008/09 and the Malaysian Book of Records Award for the first Marine Centre to propagate all 7 species of Giant Clams found in Malaysian waters.  For further information, please visit: www.merc-gayana.com

About Gayana Eco Resort

Gayana Eco Resort rests at the edges of a lush coral reef island off the coast of Borneo. 52 overwater villas are architecturally designed to enhance the sounds of the surf below while capturing the enduring vistas of Mt. Kinabalu on the horizon. At its heart, the resort is about protecting our precious Marine Ecology, which includes mangroves, sea grass and coral ecosystem, and the only property with an on-site Marine Ecology Research Centre.

For further information on, please visit: www.gayana-eco-resort.com

About Bunga Raya Island Resort

As sensual and exotic as the hibiscus flower that bears its name, Bunga Raya Island Resort & Spa is a romantic and luxurious jewel set on a coral reef island off the coast of Borneo. A secluded island hideaway of 48 timbered villas, the resort is framed by white sand beach on one side and the centuries old virgin jungle on the other. Hillside private villas reflect the simplicity of the Borneo architectural style.  Its architectural ingenuity earned the property the prestigious FIABCI Prix D’Excellence Awards in the Resort Development Category.

For further information on, please visit: www.bungarayaresort.com