Enjoy kampung sites from a tuk-tuk

Fun ride: You don’t have to go all the way to Thailand to experience a tuk-tuk ride. Nur Afiq recently imported a tuk-tuk from Thailand and uses it to bring tourists to seven villages. — Bernama

KUALA PERLIS: Thanks to an enterprising young man, Malaysians need not have to go as far as Thailand to experience a tuk-tuk or choley ride as they can now enjoy the ride at the Kampung Warna Warni Seberang Ramai here.

After raising RM4,000, Nur Afiq Nasharudin placed a special order for the auto rickshaw from Thailand to generate extra income for his family and help other youngsters in his village to earn some money.

“I got the idea to operate this transport service after seeing elderly people and expectant mothers having to walk quite a distance to enjoy the beauty that this village has to offer.

“It took some time for me to figure out how to bring in the vehicle legally and I finally received my tuk-tuk last month,” he told Bernama yesterday.

Nur Afiq or affectionately known as “Mat Apit” among the villagers said he did not expect his tuk-tuk service would receive such an encouraging response from foreign and local tourists when business started during the Chinese New Year holidays.

“If I could get a loan, I plan to have another unit to cope with the increasing demand, especially on public holidays and weekends,” said the self-employed.

During peak periods, Nur Afiq would get his friends to take turns to drive visitors around.

“During weekends, I usually manage to get between seven and nine trips from morning to late afternoon. I charge RM35 per trip,” he said.

“The ride will take visitors to seven villages, Kampung Tengah, Kampung Tanjung, Kampung Seberang Alur, Kampung Seberang Jaya, Kampung Pulau Ketam, Kampung Tandiap and Kampung Baru Tandiap,” Nur Afiq said, adding the trip takes about 45 minutes to an hour to complete.

Apart from taking selfies and enjoying the sight seeing tour, Nur Afiq would take tourists to buy dodol, putu kacang, halwa maskat and Kuala Perlis laksa to bring home.

“I feel honoured to be able to play this role as some sort of an ambassador promoting this area,” he said.

A tourist from Melaka, Mohd Anwar Leman, 53 said he had taken tuk-tuk rides when he visited Thailand and Indonesia but the experience here and seeing the beautiful kampung houses with vibrant colours was unique.

“The ride was exciting because in addition to sight seeing, the driver will tell us about the villages and the transformation project which was the brainchild of the Raja Muda of Perlis Tuanku Syed Faizuddin Putra Jamalullail.

The development of Kampung Warna Warni Seberang Ramai Royal Project was one of the Perlis Islamic Religious and Malay Customs Council’s (MAIPs) initiative to improve the economy of residents in the area and leverage the state’s tourism assets.

Meanwhile, MAIPs is the first Islamic religious council in the country to receive the Malaysian Institute of Planners’ President’s Award for this project, which was recognised as a high-impact project to assist the community.