DP WORLD SUPPORTS SAFER BOAT JOURNEYS TO SCHOOL IN SABAH
Students who commute to school by boat received new child-sized life jackets, helping make daily journeys safer in Sabah’s coastal communities
KOTA KINABALU, MALAYSIA, 2 OCTOBER 2026 — Every school day, students from Kampung Numbak and Kampung Kebagu in Kota Kinabalu travel by boat to Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) Gantisan. For many, the journey has meant relying on oversized adult life jackets.
To help make these trips safer, DP World has collaborated with its local joint venture partner, Suria Group, and Sabah Ports Sdn Bhd (SPSB), to provide child-sized life jackets for students who commute to school by boat. The initiative reflects DP World’s commitment to supporting the communities where it operates by improving everyday safety for young children and supporting their access to education.
The life jackets were officially handed over during a ceremony on 1 October at Wisma Sabah Ports, attended by representatives from DP World, Suria Group, Sabah Ports Sdn Bhd (SPSB) and the Sabah Ports Authority (SPA), as well as students, teachers and members of the Parent-Teacher Association (PIBG) Committee from SK Gantisan. During the ceremony, a total of 11 child-sized life jackets were presented to students from Kampung Numbak and Kampung Kebagu who rely on daily boat transportation to attend school. The remaining 199 life jackets will be delivered directly to SK Gantisan.
Gaylynne Neill, Executive Vice President, People. Asia Pacific, DP World, said:
“At DP World, our responsibility extends beyond moving goods to building stronger and more prosperous communities where people of all ages can thrive. Education is at the core of that commitment, and we believe that every child deserves to travel to school safely, regardless of where they live. For students in Sabah’s coastal communities, that journey begins on the water, and something as simple as a properly fitted life jacket can make a meaningful difference. As such, we are heartened to be introducing this initiative at SK Gantisan – bolstering access to education ultimately enabling long-term progress and economic development.”
Apart from the life jacket distribution, DP World will continue its partnership with SK Gantisan to increase students’ awareness of marine biodiversity and conservation by rolling out educational activities covering topics such as coral reefs, mangroves, turtle conservation and orangutans.
Education is one of DP World’s global priorities under its Our World, Our Future sustainability strategy, which aims to reach 1.5 million students by 2030. Under this strategy, the company supports education initiatives that expand access to learning and future opportunities, including scholarship and school outreach programmes. Most recently, DP World partnered with Australian non-profit organisation LiteHaus International to launch a digital education initiative in Fiji, expanding access to technology and digital learning opportunities for students across five schools.
A student in Sabah receives help securing her life jacket as part of DP World’s initiative to support safer school journeys.
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About DP World
DP World is reshaping the future of global trade to improve lives everywhere. Operating across six continents with a team of over 125,000 employees, we combine global infrastructure and local expertise to deliver seamless supply chain solutions. From Ports and Terminals to Marine Services, Logistics and Technology, we leverage innovation to create better ways to trade, minimising disruptions from the factory floor to the customer’s door.
In Asia Pacific, DP World employs over 12,000 people across 22 geographies. We operate 16 ports and terminals, complemented by a comprehensive suite of end-to-end supply chain solutions – to connect the region to the rest of the world.
