Filth and flies keep tourists away
Joe FernandezPublished: Jun 23, 2009 5:38 PM | Updated: Jun 23, 2009 6:19 PM
It's official! The majority of half a million visitors to Kinabalu National Park, Poring hot springs and Sabah tea garden are giving nearby Ranau town and Kundasang a miss. The reason: Filth and flies.
Visitors to the Kinabalu National Park, Poring hot springs and Sabah tea garden are giving nearby Ranau town and Kundasang a skip because of its deplorable facilities and filthy conditions.
It's official! The majority of half a million visitors to Kinabalu National Park, Poring hot springs and Sabah tea garden are giving nearby Ranau town and Kundasang a miss. The reason: Filth and flies.
Ranau, a quaint district at 1,200m in Dusun country, is the gateway to tourist spots in the hinterland. It was also the terminal point of the infamous Sandakan death marches during World War 11.
Kundasang, in the high country for temperate green farming, has attracted even more flies than Ranau.
This village in the Ranau district is also the site of the Kundasang War Memorial Display Garden which has flowers from Borneo, England and Australia.
"The lack of cleanliness in Ranau and Kundasang has affected the economy of the two areas," said Masidi Manjun, the tourism, culture and environment minister, himself a Dusun from the Ranau area.
An important stop for tourists
Masidi said an official study revealed that tourists were unhappy with poor cleanliness in Ranau and Kundasang, especially in the eateries and the public toilets.
"Ranau and Kundasang may not be the dirtiest in Sabah but these are important stops for tourists who visit the national park and Poring hot springs," said Masidi.
Kundasang used to attract tourists because of the many holiday chalets nestled in the mountains and valleys. It has a small town area which was a popular stopover for food and refreshments.
People in Ranau and Kundasang generated three kilogrammes of rubbish each daily compared to the average 0.75 kg in the state, according to the study.
Masidi said the vegetable farmers should take a cue from their counterparts in Genting Highlands who are turning compost from agricultural waste into organic fertiliser.
Masidi also said that locals passing through Ranau and Kundasang were also partly to blame for the filth and flies.
Apparently, there's a tendency among the locals to hurl plastic bottles, wrappers and other refuse from their cars as they make their way through these two places.
Plan for RM5 million resthouse
Ranau is on the highway connecting Kota Kinabalu and Sandakan, just 20km past Kinabalu Park.
This is not the first time Masidi has touched on the issue of cleanliness in Ranau.
In late 2006, he reminded the people to keep public toilets and other facilities in the area clean.
Ranau was also in the news for the wrong reasons in mid-2004 when Suhakam complained about the "deplorable over-crowding, dirty and clogged toilets" at the Ranau police station.
If the state government revives a plan to build a RM5 million resthouse in Sayat Sayat, at 3,000m and about 1,000m from the summit of Mount Kinabalu, tourists may skip Ranau and Kundasang.
Ranau, a quaint district at 1,200m in Dusun country, is the gateway to tourist spots in the hinterland. It was also the terminal point of the infamous Sandakan death marches during World War 11.
Kundasang, in the high country for temperate green farming, has attracted even more flies than Ranau. This village in the Ranau district is also the site of the Kundasang War Memorial Display Garden which has flowers from Borneo, England and Australia.
"The lack of cleanliness in Ranau and Kundasang has affected the economy of the two areas," said Masidi Manjun, the tourism, culture and environment minister, himself a Dusun from the Ranau area.
An important stop for tourists
Masidi said an official study revealed that tourists were unhappy with poor cleanliness in Ranau and Kundasang, especially in the eateries and the public toilets.
"Ranau and Kundasang may not be the dirtiest in Sabah but these are important stops for tourists who visit the national park and Poring hot springs," said Masidi.
Kundasang used to attract tourists because of the many holiday chalets nestled in the mountains and valleys. It has a small town area which was a popular stopover for food and refreshments.People in Ranau and Kundasang generated three kilogrammes of rubbish each daily compared to the average 0.75 kg in the state, according to the study.
Masidi said the vegetable farmers should take a cue from their counterparts in Genting Highlands who are turning compost from agricultural waste into organic fertiliser.
Masidi also said that locals passing through Ranau and Kundasang were also partly to blame for the filth and flies.
Apparently, there's a tendency among the locals to hurl plastic bottles, wrappers and other refuse from their cars as they make their way through these two places.
Plan for RM5 million resthouse
Ranau is on the highway connecting Kota Kinabalu and Sandakan, just 20km past Kinabalu Park.This is not the first time Masidi has touched on the issue of cleanliness in Ranau.
In late 2006, he reminded the people to keep public toilets and other facilities in the area clean.
Ranau was also in the news for the wrong reasons in mid-2004 when Suhakam complained about the "deplorable over-crowding, dirty and clogged toilets" at the Ranau police station.
If the state government revives a plan to build a RM5 million resthouse in Sayat Sayat, at 3,000m and about 1,000m from the summit of Mount Kinabalu, tourists may skip Ranau and Kundasang.
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