TENOM: Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen yesterday announced a total of RM300,000 aid to Sabah Agricultural Park (TPS) to organize the first Tenom Orchid Festival next year and to upgrade signboards to identify the plants in the park.
Speaking to reporters during her visit to the park yesterday, Ng said TPS has the potential to be in the world map for having more than 250 native orchids which can only be found in Sabah and Borneo.
“We have the potential here, and we only need to be more focused on the orchids because orchid lovers from throughout the world are looking for something different which they cannot find elsewhere.
“TPS should think of the festival name, and discuss with the ministry to bring local music to attract more tourists here to promote this place.
“The festival will be held next year and we will see the response from there,” said Ng who allocated RM100,000 for the festival.
Another RM200,000 was allocated for the upgrading of signboards in the park to make them readable and informative for the visitors.
She said the RM200,000 allocation was only a start, and TPS was encouraged to have a special park for native orchids to allow researchers and orchid lovers to enjoy their visit there.
TPS is one of the largest agriculture parks in Malaysia and boasts a background of truly natural landscape with the lush greenery of the Crocker Range. The park is knowledge and recreational oriented as well as an ideal environment for nature-based activities that makes this park a worthy holiday destination.
Ng said since the park has two chalets with only two rooms and a hostel which can accommodate only 88 persons, local hotel players should have the initiative to build more budget and clean hotels with a rating system to allow tourists to have a choice.
During the visit yesterday, park director Jain Linton said other recreational activities such as fishing, boating, cycling and sport activities could also be done in the park.
Ng said her ministry would examine whether the park was suitable to have cycling tracks because park lovers would be more than happy to explore the place by themselves, and cycling would be the most suitable way to enjoy the plants.
“Plants lovers will be able to spend days to discover this huge park,” she said.
Also present at the event were Sabah Tourism Board chairman Datuk Seri Tengku Zainal Adlin Tengku Mahamood and Melalap assemblyman Datuk Radin Maleh.