Kudat as gateway to four World Heritage sites
KUDAT: The ferry service connecting Kudat to Palawan in the southern Philippines, which is ready to commence anytime, will boost the status of Sabah’s northernmost district as the gateway to four World Heritage sites.
These four sites are the Kinabalu National Park in Sabah, Gunung Mulu National Park in Sarawak, Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park and Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park (Palawan, Philippines).
Kudat district officer Sapdin Ibrahim said the ferry service would also serve as a catalyst for development of tourism in the district and trigger economic flow in other sectors such as agricultural, fisheries, food and hotel.
“The local people are looking forward to the launch of this Kudat-Palawan ferry service. Kudat can be the gateway to Sabah, Sarawak, Brunei Darussalam and Kalimantan, Indonesia.
“This ferry service will also encourage two-way travel between Sabah and the Philippines,” he told Bernama.
According to him, the ferry could carry up to 270 passengers besides 30 cars and 10 lorries in one trip.
In fact, he said, the ferry service would enable enthusiasts of highpower motorcycles or superbikes from the Borneo archipelago to explore southern Philippines through Palawan to Manila from Kudat, which was the state’s first capital (North Borneo Company).
According to Sapdin, state Special Functions Minister Datuk Teo Chee Kang, who is also Tanjung Kapor assemblyman had insisted for the introduction of the Kudat-Palawan ferry service as it was in line with the agenda of Kudat to be a tourism icon not only in Sabah but also in the region.
He said based on the district’s performance in drawing tourists from within and outside Malaysia since 2015 through various programmes and activities, Kudat could expect between 200,000 and 250,000 visitors this year.
In 2017, the number of domestic and foreign tourists to Kudat was about 182,000, compared to 128,000, the previous year, all thanks to the implementation of more than 50 programmes in conjunction with Visit Kudat 2016/2017, he said.
Kudat has an abundance of beautiful beaches like Pantai Simpang Mengayau, Pantai Simpang Mengayau Baharu, Pantai Bak Bak, Pantai Kelambu, Pantai Pasir Hitam, Pantai Tanjung Bangau, Pantai Terongkongan, Pantai Tindakon Dazang, Pantai Pulau Balambangan and Pantai Maliangin.
“The ‘Tip of Borneo’ in Simpang Mengayau is also located here. Simpang Mengayau is not only beautiful but is believed to possess historical wealth including sunken ships which are potential tourism products particularly for diving activities,” said Sapdin.
He also cited Tun Mustapha Park, the largest marine park in Malaysia, stretching 898,762.76 hectares and encompassing the waters off Kudat, Kota Marudu and Pitas, which is expected to become a popular diving destination on par with those in Semporna.
He said the district office had applied for a RM15 million allocation from the government to upgrade Simpang Mengayau, while the RM7 million Tun Mustapha Museum which is under construction would contain historical material on Kudat and on independence icon Tun Datu Mustapha Datu Harun.
“Kudat is among the best locations for surfing in Sabah. It also offers other tourism products such as golf course, rural industry centre (batik paintings and beads), and restaurants that offer fresh seafood and agrobased products.
“Kudat residents are ready to receive visitors. We have about 500 hotel rooms, homestays and chalets for overnight tourists. We are encouraging residents to open more seafood restaurants to cater to the visitors,” he said.
Sapdin is confident that Kudat’s tourism sector would receive further boost from the Pan Borneo coastal highway project from Tuaran to Simpang Mengayau, to be built next year, and the proposed airport in Sikuati. - Bernama