‘Tourism master plan to be drawn up for Baram’

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Abang Johari (fifth left) launching the Baram Regatta 2014 logo at the ‘kick-off’ as Entri (right) and (from left) Wil, Abu Seman, Ngau (background) and Abdul Karim applaud.

MARUDI: The state government will be drawing up a hinterland tourism master plan for Baram with emphasis on lake attractions from the proposed Baram dam project.

Minister of Tourism Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Openg said a consultant from New Zealand has been tasked to draw up this plan which is expected to be ready by October this year.

“It will be included in the 11th Malaysia Plan, and we are looking at the lessons learnt from Batang Ai where a lot of the things are not there where tourism is concerned,” he said.

Speaking at the ‘kick-off’ ceremony of Baram Regatta 2014 in Marudi town square, the minister said this master plan would interface with other plans in the Baram HEP project, where islands created in the lake would be used for development.

Of the 12 dams planned in Sarawak, the 1,200 MW Baram Dam is next in line to begin construction and could displace 20,000 indigenous people from 26 villages in the reservoir area of 388 square kilometres.

Abang Johari said the tourism master plan will also cover Bakun and include development of infrastructure and amenities.

He also said the lure of the hinterland dubbed as ‘Silence of the Wilderness’ by Yang d-Pertua Negeri Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud while visiting Marudi as chief minister will be central to the master plan and tourism direction for Baram.

With lake-based tourism in South Korea and New Zealand proving to be a big draw, he expressed optimism that Baram with her array of attractions would be a hit.

“The master plan is important, and we admit that this was not done in the case of Batang Ai and to a certain extent Bakun, but this time we will take a holistic approach,” he pointed out.

The Batang Ai project, a relatively modest dam financed by the Asian Development Bank, started in 1982 with the river diversion work and the last turbine was completed in 1985, but tourism potential from the lake was relatively untapped back then.

On the 105th edition of the unique Baram Regatta on Aug 21-23, the minister said the early kick-off was to mark a lead time of four months of promotion for the regatta through the Baram Regatta 2014 website.

“We want the world, and not just Malaysia, to know what we have in Baram – peaceful people and beautiful scenery,” he said of the promotion efforts undertaken by his ministry and the organiser.

Baram Regatta organising chairman and Assistant Minister of Public Utilities (Water Supply) Datuk Sylvester Entri in his speech said the regatta would be a hive of cultural and water sports competition.

He thanked Abang Johari, who is also Saberkas chairman, for his support and spearheading the state youth organisation.

Among others present were Assistant Minister of Youth Development Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, Baram MP Anyi Ngau, state assemblymen Dennis Ngau (Telang Usan) and Abu Seman Jahwie (Jemoreng), Saberkas secretary-general Abdul Rahman Juniadi, political secretary to the chief minister Richard Wil Uban and Marudi district officer Mackos Sibong.