Jamilah wants better facilities in national parks, tourist sites
DATUK Amar Datin Patinggi Jamilah Anu ( PBB-Tg Datu) wants the Sarawak government to set aside allocations to repair, upgrade and construct new infrastructure and facilities in the tourist attractions such as the Gunung Gading National Park, Tanjong Datu National Park, the beaches of Pugu, Pueh and Sematan.
She said Tanjong Datu is famous for its beautiful beaches, magnificent mountains and islands that are full of flora and fauna.
“I raise this issue again in this august House because ecotourism is a major milestone for socio- economic development in the Tanjong Datu area,” she said in her motion of thanks to the TYT’s address.
Jamilah also welcomes the Natural Resources and Environment Board’s ( NREB) effort to increase the environmental awareness programmes at the tourist sites.
On another matter, Jamilah wanted a more solid initiative being planned to address security issues along the SarawakIndonesian borders in Tanjong Datu, where the area is exposed to smuggling activities through ‘jalan tikus’.
“I am deeply worried about the issues such as drug trafficking using the ‘jalan tikus’. Along with Pan Borneo Road, an Immigration, Customs, Quarantine and Safety Complex ( ICQS) will need to be set up as a gateway at the Telok Melano border with Temajuk, Indonesia to safeguard the public safety and well- being of the country,” she said.
She noted that there was an attempt to smuggle 1,200 boxes of frozen fish in her constituency on Feb 26 in which the alleged smuggler had used the “jalan gajah” in the palm oil plantation.
The smuggling attempt however was foiled by military personnel from the 11th Battalion of RAMD, in which the smuggled items worth about RM296,000 were seized.
She said at present people from the neighbouring country only use the Cross-border Pass ( PLB) as there is no specific entry point by land through Telok Melano while the entry to Sematan by sea is no longer relevant as road connectivity from Telok Melano ( Pan Borneo) is already available.