Selling Sabah to the world

Tham Yau Kong wore loin cloth during winter in London, cycled thousands of kilometres, trekked jungles across borders — all for promoting tourism. His exploits have won him many accolades, but to the 50-year-old tour operator, the bigger reward is in seeing people from around the world arriving in Sabah to seek adventure.

A tour guide for more than 20 years, Tham still walks, climbs and cycles along routes he charts for his guests, mostly adventure seekers.

An adrenalin junkie before venturing into the tourism industry, Tham scaled Mount Kinabalu over 500 times, Mount Trusmadi (Malaysia’s second highest peak) over 100 times and trekked the “Borneo Triangle” that links the Kelabit highland people in Long Pasia (Sabah) Long Bawan (Kalimantan) and Long Semaduh (Sarawak).

As his reputation grew, so did his desire to introduce Sabah to the world.

Many people from abroad began seeking his service or advice. They included popular reality show producer Mark Burnett who launched the Survivor show, followed by the Eco Challenge in Sabah.

Tham walked 1,135km for three months from Kudat to Limbang in Sarawak, circumvented 385km around Mount Kinabalu and hosted Australians who came to pay their respects for their fallen heroes in the “Death March” from Sandakan to Ranau during World War Two.

He was instrumental in retracing the route used by the Japanese to force some 2,700 prisoners of war to march nearly 300km between 1942 and 1943. Only six survived to tell the story, with recollections from locals who assisted the prisoners in their escape.

Source: New Straits Times