Batang Kali tourism business still affected

Fear of the unknown: The landslide in Batang Kali has been putting tourists off their travel plans. — FAIHAN GHANI/The Star

BUSINESS at resorts and campsites in Batang Kali was badly hit by last December’s deadly landslide, reported Kosmo!.

For the past three months, these places – which were usually full during weekends or long holidays – hardly saw any tourists.

Eco Murai Rimba operator Norlia Mazlan, 58, said there were queries about the activities and other attractions at the resort but, most of the prospects did not make a booking when they learnt about the location.

In fact, the resort has not received any reservations for the Hari Raya Aidilfitri holidays next month.

Norlia said she was losing about RM12,000 a month running the eight-year-old resort.

She hoped the government would do something to revive tourism in this Selangor town.

Dusun Bonda operator Azura Othman, 48, said the number of her guests had been reduced by half since the tragedy, which claimed 31 lives.

People, she said, did not want to go there even after she repeatedly explained that her location is far from ground zero.

“Our income now is just enough to cover the maintenance costs and workers’ salaries,” she added.

> Harian Metro reported that Siti Norhidayah Mohd Ali, the widow of comedian Abam Bocey, claims that she is under attack from witchcraft.

The 32-year-old has called for help on Instagram and hopes netizens could introduce her to an Islamic medicine practitioner.

“Mystical disturbances have been taking place since the death of my husband.

“I hope there is someone who can help me and Hamzah,” she said, referring to her son.

However, she did not elaborate on the nature of the disturbances.

The respondents suggested several Islamic centres and encouraged her to stay strong.

Siti Norhidayah married Abam, whose real name was Syed Umar Mukhtar Syed Mohd Ridzuan, in 2017, three years before the actor died at the age of 32.

● The above article is compiled from the vernacular newspapers (Bahasa Malaysia, Chinese and Tamil dailies). As such, stories are grouped according to the respective language/medium. Where a paragraph begins with this ' >'sign, it denotes a separate news item.