‘Revive Sarawak International Samalaju Nature Challenge’
KUCHING: Samalaju assemblyman Majang Renggi wants the renowned Sarawak International Samalaju Nature Challenge which was last held in 2015 to be revived.
He said the event has great potential to encourage the younger people to be more active in sports and also to promote the rich flora and fauna at Samalaju National Park.
“The Sarawak International Samalaju Nature Challenge is considered one of the toughest sporting adventure events in the state, where participants compete against their own endurance.
“Among its objectives are to encourage active participation of youths in healthy activities and to promote challenging and gruelling sporting event,” Majang said on the sidelines of the State Legislative Assembly sitting yesterday.
He also expressed his desire to continue the event to ensure that it would provide an avenue for local participants to compete with the more experienced participants, including world- class sportsmen and sportswomen.
Majang said the event, which is open to all, covers a distance of 45km; consisting of 5km of beach cycling, 20km of road cycling, and 20km of jungle trekking at the Samalaju National Park.
“The event was launched by then minister of tourism Tan Sri Datuk Amar Dr James Masing in 2000. It was last held in 2015. We are now hoping to hold it next year,” Majang said.
On a related issue, the firstterm assemblyman said Samalaju National Park has a huge potential to be fully utilised as a centre for sports and outdoor activities.
“As such, we want to propose to the government to let the private sector take over the management of the National Park so that more capital could be invested into it. This way facilities at the park could be further improved to attract more visitors,” he said.
Samalaju National Park is situated about 30km from Bintulu. It provides recreational ground for people living in the central region. It has one of the most beautiful coastal areas in Malaysia with miles of unspoiled white and golden sand, and rocky beach facing the South China Sea.
It is rich in flora and fauna that provides nature lovers with rich experience to savour. It is also suitable for camping and outdoor activities.
It was gazetted as a National Park in 1976.