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KOTA KINABALU: The channeling of various types of assistance through the Pemerkasa Plus aid package will help the tourism industry in Sabah to survive, said Sabah Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Jafry Ariffin. He said this could be seen from the provisions like the one-off special assistance of RM500 to tour guides, taxi and e-hailing drivers amounting to RM68 million and also the 12-month moratorium on loan repayments to bus and taxi operators. He said industry players such as hotel operators, travel agencies, shopping malls, convention centres, theme parks and airlines would also benefit from the 10 percent discount on electricity bills for three months as well as from the Wage Subsidy Programme under Socso. “The Ministry (Sabah Tourism, Culture and Environment Ministry), will continue to enhance cooperative relations with all tourism industry players and identify other forms of assistance, which may be needed further by the target groups. “Tourism industry players are urged to persevere in facing the current challenges to break the chain of transmission of the Covid-19 virus by always practising compliance with standard operating procedures (SOP) in daily life,“ he said in a statement here today. Jafry said the extension until Dec 31 for tourism tax and service tax exemptions on accommodation provided by hotel operators, was also a great step in helping the tourism industry face this challenging period. On Monday, Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin announced the Pemerkasa Plus aid package amounting to RM40 billion to alleviate the burden of the people and businesses following the country being placed on a total lockdown from June 1-14 due to a surge in Covid-19 cases. — Bernama

KUDAT: Gua Balambangan, on Balambangan Island here, will be upgraded and turned into a tourist attraction in Sabah, especially for the Kudat district. Sabah Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Jafry Ariffin said the ministry had allocated RM1 million to build basic infrastructure in the area, such as a bridge, to make it easier for visitors to go to the island  and enter the limestone cave, which is about 200 metres from the beach. “The cave is under the jurisdiction of the Kudat District Office,  while the sea area is under the Sabah Parks, so we will work together to develop the area as a tourism product,” he told reporters in conjunction with his visit to the Tun Mustapha Park here today. The distance between Kudat Marina Jetty to Gua Balambangan is about an hour by speed boat. Meanwhile, a resident of Kampung Batu Sirih, which is on Pulau Balambangan, Shuib Salleh, 51, said GuaBalambangan is known as Gua Kok Simpul among the locals. It is believed to be over 60 million years old, he said, adding that there are about 27 others caves in the area. The special thing about the caves is that the rocks inside are shiny when exposed to light, and they are home to bats,” he said, adding that of all the caves, Gua Kok Simpul is the most accessible. — BERNAMA

KOTA KINABALU, Feb 2 — The tourism sector in Sabah is expected to take longer time to recover than other states due to its dependence on air travel, said state Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Jafry Ariffin. However, he said, the ministry is optimistic that the tourism sector will be revived through strategies effectively outlined based on new norms. “We have planned and implemented various plans and strategies to face the current challenges. The recovery of the tourism industry also depends on the success of curbing Covid-19 with its improved prospects following the availability of vaccines,” he said in a statement today. He said the effective implementation of vaccination would be a key factor towards border opening and normalisation of domestic and international tourism activities. Meanwhile, Jafry said, the RM300 aid to tour guides, porters, mountain guides, diving leaders and artists would be channelled soon. The ministry is also looking into appropriate assistance to hotel and accommodation operators in Sabah, he added. — Bernama

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah government will also be focusing on promoting forest reserves in conjunction with Visit Malaysia Year 2020, said state State Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Christina Liew. “For the purpose of increasing tourism products at Gunung Alab, Sabah Parks has also developed several chalets and hostels to accommodate 54 people every day. “Sabah Parks has also prepared a 12km-trail from the mountain to Mahua waterfall in Tambunan,” she said during the winding up session at the 15th state assembly sitting here. Gunung Alab, with an elevation of 1,951 metre above sea, is the sixth highest mountain in Sabah. Last year, there were 1,671 visitors who came to Gunung Alab and 483 had trekked the trail. She also added that the ministry had received RM4.5 million from federal and state government to develop Trus Madi Forest Reserve. The allocation, which is under the 10th Malaysia Plan, is to build base camp, trail, rest house and water supply, among others. Liew, who is also deputy Chief Minister, said the state government has also been promoting forest areas such as Maliau Basin, Danum Valley, Imbak Canyon and Gunung Tingkar forest reserves through print and online media by Sabah Tourism Board. “For example, Imbak Canyon has been frequented by domestic and international tourists from the United Kingdom and Europe. “Based on statistics, those visitors are students, researchers and those who want to see the beauty of nature, forests and wildlife.”