Develop tourism potential in northern Sabah: Teo
Kudat: Investors are welcome to come and develop tourism potentials at the northern part of Sabah which is known for its mesmerising scenery, scuba diving, seafood and local cuisines as well as handicrafts and unique culture.
Speaking at the inaugural dinner for the tourism players at Tun Mustapha Community Hall here last Friday, Special Tasks Minister, Datuk Teo Chee Kang said Kudat is the only district in Malaysia to have its own calendar of tourism events.
Attended by 800 tourism players and guests the event was organised by Kudat Tourism Association.
According to Teo, Banggi and Matunggong were among the areas with huge potentials in the tourism industry.
The Tanjung Kapor Assemblyman said the State Economic Planning Unit (EPU) has outlined long-term developments in Banggi and Matunggong areas.
Also basic infrastructure and road systems were upgraded to encourage arrivals as well as the construction of the ram for the roll-on-roll-off ferry that is expected to open up further tourism and trade opportunities between Kudat and Palawan, Philippines.
In addition, Teo also assured that he would strive to get allocations from the federal and state governments for the development of the tourism industry here as well as to place the developments immediately under the 11th Malaysia Plan.
On a related note, Teo said Kudat would have the largest marine park in the country, once the Tun Mustapha Marine Park is gazetted.
He urged the people in the district not to engage in illegal fish bombing, especially in the vicinity of the marine park because it would damage the marine ecology, which in turn, affect the future generations and tourism sector in Kudat.
Teo also called on the people maintain cleanliness in the district and refrain from littering to avoid leaving a bad impression on tourists.
He encouraged the private sectors to work hand-in-hand with the government to develop the local tourism industry.
Although the Prime Minister has recently announcement a revision of the National Budget 2015 in view of the drop in crude oil price and weakening of the Ringgit, Teo believed that it would not affect the tourism industry if the private sector worked with the government to develop and overcome the obstacles in the tourism industry.
Meanwhile, Kudat Tourism Association chairman Sabdin Ibrahim said the association has decided on a calendar of tourism events for 2015 and to publish a tourism booklet in its meeting to promote festivals, handicrafts, local cultures, tourism activities and relatively unknown scenic places to attract more tourists to Kudat.
Sabdin said there would soon be an archive in the district to preserve major developments and happenings of the tourism industry in the district.
The guests were entertained with a variety of performances, including singing, dancing and cooking demonstration by a renowned local chef.
Also present was Sabah Parks Board of Trustees chairman Datuk Seri Tengku Dr Zainal Adlin Tengku Mahamood.
