KUCHING: Santubong cable car project which was shelved over a decade ago may by revived after all.
Sarawak Economic Development Corporation (SEDC) has been instructed to study the multi-million ringgit project while taking into account the ecological and environmental factors as well as the socio-economic benefits.
Its chairman Tan Sri Datuk Amar Abdul Aziz Husain said SEDC was currently studying the proposal to see whether or not the project would be feasible in terms of attracting people to visit the Damai peninsula.
“SEDC has been instructed to look into the project which has been back-burnered for the last ten years. We are still looking at the cable car project. This is not our proposal; it was proposed by somebody else.
“We will see if it is the best way of attracting people to Damai. Is it the cable car or something else?” he said in a press conference after a working visit to Sarawak Cultural Village (SCV) in Santubong today.
He was responding to questions as to how SEDC was viewing the cable car project as some quarters had opposed it.
“The study is part of SEDC’s tourism master plan to develop the Damai peninsula. Hopefully we will be able to reach a decision on this,” he said.
He noted that some environmentalists think cable cars going to the top of the mountain would damage the immediate environment and surrounding areas.
“To some extent, I agree with that, but we have to find alternative ways to make the place more attractive to visitors, and easily accessible.
“So is cable car one of them? I’m not very sure. We finalise the study and then we will know,” he said.
He also disclosed that SEDC’s consultant would conduct interviews with experts on the matter.
“It is very important to do a comprehensive study on the cable car project because we do not want to find out later that it is not suitable. It is very difficult to undo the project once we realise that it can damage the environment,” he said.
