With the world heritage centre Mulu Caves as the anchor, the huge Baram region can be positioned as a premier tourism destination said Telang Usan assemblyman Lihan Jok.
Baram district in Miri Division is almost the size of the state of Pahang is home to the various indigenous tribal groups of the Land of the Hornbill.
“The asset of the indigenous people in Baram is their colourful and interesting cultures. If we can market the culture of our indigenous people in Baram to the outside world, we can attract tourists who are interested in the cultures and traditions of the indigenous people. I believe our people can take part in this industry and will directly benefit from it. Our people cannot possibly take part in oil palm plantation industry because this industry require big capital and expertise,“ said Lihan Jok.
He said this during the presentation of Mesra Malaysia and Tourism Certificates dinner recently.
The dinner was organised by the women wing of the federation of orang ulu associations FORUM). Present were the organising chairperson Kijan Toynbee, the city council secretary Antonio Kathi Galis, the Telang Usan PBB youth chief councillor Dennis Ngau Jok and several heads of associations.
Lihan firmly believed that tourism is the one industry for Baram that is marketable if all the players in the industry play their role.
This is in line with the call by the Chief Minister to have one industry for one division, said Lihan.
With that in mind, he suggested a brainstorming session among the industry players and stake holders in the very near future.
“We are serious in tapping this potential gold mine for our people. A breakthrough can come when there is a perfect collaboration among all the stake holders and industry players,” said Lihan.
Lihan pointed out that the Baram hinterland can complement Miri as the Resort City, drawing tourists from all around the world who are keen to have a tropical adventure in the deep jungle of Baram.
As the tourists trek through the jungle of Baram, enjoying the scenic and virgin forests, they can also learn about the colourful cultures of the indigenous tribal people along the mighty Baram river.
Baram has a lot to offer in terms of historical values.
There are a number of forts in the interiors, legacy of the colonial era. If these forts can be promoted as tourist destinations with some story-telling about their histories, these forts can be as famous as the Famosa in Malacca.
With tales of barter trade between the traders and the semi-nomadic Penans in days of old, Baram has a lot of nostalgia to offer to the outside world especially tourists from Britain.
With the historic Baram Regatta held once every three years, this event can be promoted in the country's tourism calendar.
This year Baram Regatta is held from 15 to 17 August. The first Baram Regatta, held in 1899 was a peace-making ceremony between the warring tribes in Baram in those days.
The first Baram Regatta early turned into a bloody tribal war between the various tribes that came to Marudi to take part in the boat-race when one of the tribal leader was wounded by a member of an opposing tribe.
However, the wounded tribal leader stood up and pacify his men saying it was an accident, thus averting a tragedy from happening on the momentous occasion.
“With all these colorful history of Baram and the diverse and beautiful cultures of its people, I don't see any reason why tourism cannot be as successful as other industries in Baram. We have a lot of tourist destinations yet to be tapped like the Usun Apau,” said Lihan. ENDS.
Caption: TOURISM JEWEL: Lihan (seated fourth from left) with other guests at the dinner.
