Nancy gestures for the camera during her visit to the Santaba jetty at Kampung Patiambun in Limbang. Others from right are Dr Abdul Rahman, Hasbi, Paulus, Sufian and Dr Noor Zari.
LIMBANG: The mangrove forest around the Santaba jetty area in Kampung Patiambun could be developed as a prospective eco-tourism attraction in this division, said federal Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri.
She viewed the natural attributes along the Santaba River and the nearby areas as resembling those highlighted as a riverbank tourism product in Vietnam.
“Being at the Santaba jetty in Kampung Patiambun here, it exudes a feeling as if we’re in Vietnam.
“That one river in Vietnam is small, but the river here (Santaba River) is big, clean and beautiful. There are also other potential products being offered – we could also tap into other tourism prospects in this area such as observing the fireflies and the Proboscis monkey,” she told reporters after conducting a visit to the jetty at Kampung Patiambun here yesterday.
Nancy also pointed out the need to develop eco-tourism products further so that the tourists would choose Malaysia as the preferred place for them to enjoy eco-tourism activities.
In this regard, she called for further development of the eco-tourism potential available at Santaba jetty, including the boat transportation service for the tourists.
“Moreover, the development would also help the local people generate extra incomes by offering local delicacies and handicrafts to the visitors.
“There are many potential areas in Limbang that can be developed into becoming good eco-tourism products.
“Through this visit, we should be able to see for ourselves what can we propose through our working paper later,” said Nancy.
Accompanying the minister in the visit were federal Deputy Minister of Transport Datuk Hasbi Habibollah who is Limbang MP, Assistant Minister of Agriculture Native Land and Regional Development Sarawak Datuk Dr Abdul Rahman Ismail who is Bukit Kota assemblyman, Batu Danau assemblyman Paulus Palu Gumbang, Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture Malaysia’s secretary-general Datuk Dr Noor Zari Hamat, Limbang District Council chairman Sufian Mohat, and Kampung Patiambun headman KK Ahmad Mail.