Bangkuai (second right) and others in his entourage visiting Tasik Impian within the Sime Darby Mostyn Plantation in Kunak.
KOTA KINABALU: A large plantation in Sabah’s east coast Kunak district holds tremendous potential as an attractive tourism destination, says Datuk Joniston Bangkuai.
The Sabah Tourism, Culture and Environment Assistant Minister said the area offered huge untapped attractions, which would assist Kunak in developing its tourism potential.
Among them are the Tasik Impian, Ex-Japanese Tunnel, Oil Palm Museum which has the oldest oil palm trees, and Hot Spring Sungang, all of which are off-limits to the general public.
"I find the potential within the Sime Darby plantation enormous and the existing attractions will benefit the Kunak people," Bangkuai said, after a visit to the site on Tuesday (Oct 11).
"While Sime Darby's primary business is plantation, we believe it would be in the company's best interest to consider exploring opportunities to work with the local community and promote tourism in the area," he added.
Bangkuai, accompanied by Tourism Malaysia deputy chairman Datuk Seri Anil Jit Singh Sandhu and a product team from the Sabah Tourism Board (STB), visited the plantation to assess the numerous prospective attractions.
Bangkuai, who is also the chairman of the Sabah Tourism Board, said that STB was ready to facilitate any collaboration that benefits the people and their economy, as well as the state’s tourism sector.
Also present were Federation of Rural Tourism Association Sabah (FeRTAS) president Walter Kandayon, Kunak Tourism Association chairman Mohammad Hatta Arabi, Kunak assistant district officer Rubert Salimon and Sime Darby (Mostyn Plantation) senior manager Mohammad Syafrie.
Meanwhile, Mohammad Hatta said that agriculture was the primary sector in Kunak, which covers an area of 1,134 square kilometres, with tourism making up only 1% of the economy.
According to him, Kunak was full of surprising treasures, and that the Kunak Tourism Association was dedicated to boosting rural tourism in any way possible.
This includes collaborating with commercial or government-linked companies whose areas have considerable tourism potential, he added.
Currently, Kunak 's main attractions are the Madai Cave, the Blue Ring Reef, and the Madai waterfall.
In addition, the Kunak Tourism Association, Kunak District Tourism Action Council and Kunak Forestry Department are also pushing into upgrading the existing Madai Sejadi waterfall and developing community-based tourism within the Madai Cave vicinity.
