Expedition to promote Laing Cave as tourist destination
KENINGAU: Over 70 members of the Keningau Youth Club and Keningau Umno Youth took part in the Laing Cave Merdeka expedition here on Saturday.
They were led by Keningau Umno Youth chief Nik Nazri Nik Zawawi and Keningau Youth Club chairman Rafie Robert.
Rafie said that the objective of this program was to encourage both youth bodies to carry out healthy activities and to promote the cave as a tourist destination in conjunction with the Keningau Visit Year next year.
He said the trip to the cave using a four-wheel drive vehicle took about 30 minutes from Keningau town.
“This would be followed by a walk through the forest area for about 30-40 minutes to reach the cave. Laing Cave is one of the tourism products of this area that has the potential to be developed,” he said, adding that the cave also had an interesting and unique mystical story.
According to him, this cave has existed since 15,000 years ago.
“Based on the legend, the cave was created by a beautiful woman called Goddess of Kayangan or ‘Dewi Kayangan’. A Kwijau Dusun named Laing found the cave being created by a woman while hunting animals in the forest for food using a machete and spear.
Laing had a brush with the woman cutting down the wood and then asked the beautiful woman, “Who are you and what are you doing here?”
The beautiful woman replied: “I am the Goddess of Kayangan and we are making a beautiful home for human skin exchanges (in the Dusun language known as Memalus), especially for innocent people, for sinners who enter this house, they cannot come back for punishment.”
Rafie said the Goddess of Kayangan made a dam at the Lomos River which is submerged as a bathing place before entering the cave.
In addition, he said a ‘sulap’ or small hut was also being built on the hill called “Minitinduk” for the Goddess of Kayangan to chat and drink ‘tapai’ or local brews during the construction.
According to him, the beautiful woman ordered Laing to return on the seventh day. However, being impatient and loathe for waiting, Laing returned to the place on the sixth day.
The Goddess of Kayangan on seeing Laing, became angry because her order was not followed. In anger, she cut down the poles of the house. The sky became dark and heavy rain fell along with flashes of lightning causing the incomplete house as well as the dog and kitchen equipment to all turn to stone.
“The stone is still there today and it is called the Laing Cave,” he said.
Nik Nazri, meanwhile said that it is very appropriate for the cave to be developed as a tourism product in this area.
“I believe those who are passionate about extreme sports would find it very suitable because it is very challenging and the environment is still unpolluted.
“Maybe this cave is not so popular because of its distant location from Keningau town, but to reach this place, one has to face the many obstacles that are very challenging,” he said.
According to him, the Laing Cave Merdeka expedition has been very successful and is one of the promotions to celebrate Merdeka month in August this year and to make it one of the tourism products in conjunction with Keningau Visit Year next year.