Tun Mustapha Park (TMP), Malaysia’s largest multiple-use marine protected area (MPA), faces challenges in restoring and monitoring degraded coral reefs due to its remote location and limited technical capacity. Through the Coral Restoration Project, Sabah Parks and WWF-Malaysia partnered with coastal communities, equipping them with the skills to co-lead coral reef restoration and monitoring. Community members were trained in reef restoration techniques, maintenance of project site, ecological monitoring, and data analysis through the Mars Assisted Reef Restoration System (MARRS). Through continuous mentoring and hands-on experience, they progressed from restoration volunteers to citizen scientists, reef builders, trainers, and conservation leaders. Today, these communities independently manage restoration sites, secure external funding, educate visitors, and support the replication of coral restoration in other seascapes, demonstrating a scalable model for community-led marine conservation.