KOTA KINABALU: Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Masidi Manjun said that Malaysians should take advantage of the variety of outdoor activities available in the country and use them as a platform for them to maintain a healthy lifestyle.
“Whatever our age is, the important thing is that we remind each other of the importance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle,” said Masidi.
He said diabetes is a huge problem in Malaysia as the country has one of the highest numbers of reported cases in Asia.
“This in itself is a message to us. You can have your teh tarik but you have to keep an eye on your health. You have to be active in sports,” he said after flagging off the Tour De Kundasang participants yesterday.
“I, on behalf of Sabah Tourism Board, would like to thank the cyclists for choosing Sabah as their venue despite the fact that Sabah has a range of hills and mountains, which might make it challenging for them.
“However, in a different aspect, I do look at this as a reflection of Sabah’s natural beauty. As they accept this challenge, they may also enjoy the natural wonders of Sabah,” said Masidi.
He said Sabah has the potential to become a tourist attraction for adventure tourism, as it offers numerous outdoor activities for tourists who might be seeking adventure.
The cycling event was organized by JTC Bike Centre, a West Malaysia-based cycling centre, and it draws more than 40 cyclists from all over the country.
“We chose Sabah after looking at the success of another cycling team that had organized a cycling event here at Sabah last year.
“Also, Sabah has range of hills and such beautiful sceneries, which we do not have back in West Malaysia. We will be cycling to Gunung Alam, Ranau, Kundasang and others.
“We want to cycle with the view of the Mount Kinabalu as our background,” said Muhamed Suhaimi, who is among the cyclists.
Also present in the event was Sabah Tourism Board Chairman Datuk Joniston Bangkuai.