Labuan: About 100 Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) students are gaining hands-on experience as volunteers at the five-day Borneo Flora Festival (BFF) 2025, which began yesterday. First-year student Muhd Alif Hazim, 21, from the university’s main campus, said he travelled to Labuan specifically to volunteer at the inaugural festival.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Muhd Alif Hazim, a Computer Science (Data Science) student, expressed that the Borneo Tropical Flora and the Borneo Rainforest Jewel exhibitions drew strong interest from visitors on the first day, particularly for showcasing various floral species, including tulips, sunflowers, pohon pontianak, and orchids.

Siti Aisyah Masyop, 23, a student from the Faculty of Computing and Informatics, mentioned this was her first volunteer experience and an opportunity to gain new knowledge and interact with the public. The Selangor-born student highlighted that their tasks included giving directions and assisting visitors with taking photographs.

Third-year student Anne Roza Robin, 22, from the Faculty of International Finance, stated that she had been involved in the festival since its initial flower-planting phase. Hailing from Keningau, she described the experience as meaningful, especially in preparing herself for the working world. Despite the hot weather, she noted the large turnout and the volunteers’ commitment to assisting visitors.

Meanwhile, Labuan Corporation announced in a Facebook post that a total of 37,130 visitors were recorded on the festival’s opening day.