Fireflies bring in the cash
BONGAWAN: Fireflies are among tourism products that attract western tourists including from Japan, Korea, Taiwan and Hong Kong to visit Sabah in particular districts that have these lightning bugs at river banks.
Tourism, Culture and Environment Assistant Minister Datuk Kamarlin Ombi said Sabah is blessed for having these winged beetles that emit lights at night time at trees and vegetation along river banks.
“We notice that western tourists who visit Sabah like from Europe, Australia and United States as well as Japanese and Koreans, among others, often want to include river cruising at night in their tour packages to see the fireflies.
“These tourists appreciate and enjoy seeing our fireflies that are available along river banks in the State including here.
“Therefore, I am urging the community leaders including homestay operators to look after the fireflies habitats in their respective areas as this type of insect is an asset as it is luring foreign tourists to come to Sabah and to their villages,” he said.
Kamarlin said this in his speech when representing Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Masidi Manjun to officiate Homestay Water Carnival of Kg. Seri Serbang at its esplanade here, on Sunday.
The carnival was a first-time activity organised by the homestay operators in the village to show local games such as mini boat race, fishing and tug of war using boats to the tourists occupying in the homestay houses. Its main objective is to ensure eco-tourism in the village especially the river is always taken care for and preserved.
Also present were Bongawan assemblyman cum Sabah Native Affairs Council (Mheans) Chairman Mohamad bin Alamin, Sabah Parks Board of Trustees Chairman Dato’ Seri Tengku Dr. Zainal Adlin Bin Tengku Mahamood, Papar Assistant District Officer William Ahlan, Kg. Seri Serbang Homestay Coordinator Jeffrey Osil and community leaders. Kamarlin who is also Lumadan assemblyman said the foreign tourists love to see and enjoy the fireflies in Sabah as they do not have such insect in their respective countries. “The tourists love and enjoy seeing school of fireflies that could emit bright light on trees until it look like a big Christmas tree at night.
“For instance, I did talk to one of the tourists and he said he prefers the fireflies in Mantanani Island as these beetles emit bright and bigger lights at night compared to those in Weston,” he said, adding that the people in Sabah should be grateful that fireflies is God given asset to Sabah apart from the proboscis monkeys and rich with flora and fauna. Kamarlin also urged villagers and homestay operators who are fortunate to conduct river cruise at night to look after their rivers especially the cleanliness aspect so that they could enjoy repetition of tourists visiting their areas.
He said tourists would not re-visit certain areas if cleanliness level in the river and surrounding is not satisfactory. Even worse, he said the tourists would spread the low cleanliness level to their friends, families and relatives of their bad experiences.
In Masidi’s speech text delivered by Kamarlin, Masidi emphasised the importance of preserving and look after the cleanliness level of environment particularly rivers.
He also commended the homestay’s water carnival at Kg. Seri Serbang here as an activity to encourage the local communities to preserve and look after the river.
“If the surrounding area of the river is not clean, I am positive that tourists who stay at your homestay programme will not come again to your village.
“That is why we are urging villagers including homestay operators must ensure their rivers are clean with no rubbish so that tourists could fall in love with our places and come again for the second time onwards.
“Also, we want them to relate enjoyable experiences to their family members and friends who may want also to visit Sabah and the homestay programme,” he said.
Meanwhile Bongawan assemblyman Mohamad bin Alamin also called on the villagers at Kg. Seri Serbang not to pollute their river by indiscriminately throwing rubbish into the river as the waste could poison the marine species in surrounding areas.
“At the moment, I am satisfied with the level of cleanliness of the river at Kg. Seri Serbang here as river cruising at day and night could be conducted and no rubbish could be seen, which show their good awareness of conserving the environment.
“Nonetheless, I am still urging the villagers to look after the river and preserve its cleanliness because the river is also connected with rivers at Ulu Bongawan that practice Tagal.
“I have also issued stern warnings to native chiefs in my constituency not to hesitate to take grave action under customary law for those found using poisons to catch fish in the rivers,” he said.
Meanwhile Tengku Adlin told reporters that tourism revenue in 2013 was RM6.7 billion in which eco-tourism contributed 80 per cent of the amount and over RM5 million was contributed from operation of homestays in Sabah. To a question, he said the revenue collected last year was more or less like the amount in 2013.
He said three homestays in Sabah made over RM1 million in earnings namely Miso Walai Homestay in Kinabatangan, Misompuru Homestay in Kudat and Walai Tokou Homestay in Kundasang, Ranau.
Source: Daily Express
