PADAWAN: Member of Parliament for Puncak Borneo Datuk Willie Mongin today announced a grant of RM100,000 for the construction of a 3km farm road leading to Rembang Cave at Kampung Emperoh Karu here.
He made the announcement when officiating at the Rembang Cave Expedition at Kampung Karu here today.
At the function, he also announced another grant of RM10,000 for St Mathew’s Church, Kampung Karu for the church’s development programmes.
Willie said the grant of RM10,000 would be used to build the 3km farm road leading to Rembang Cave, a new potential tourism spot.
“I hope the grant (farm road project) would be translated to socio economic benefits for the villagers,” he said.
He said the Rembang Cave with beautiful rock formations and a river flowing inside it has the potential to be developed as a tourism spot, particularly for cave lovers, hikers and Four-Wheel-Drive (4WD) extreme sports enthusiasts.
Thus, he praised Kampung Karu Development and Security Committee in collaboration with the Padawan Adventure 4×4 Club for their initiative in organising the expedition to Rembang Cave in their effort to introduce and promote the cave as its tourism product.
According to Willie, Puncak Borneo Parliamentary constituency, which consists of three state constituencies (Mambong, Tarat and Serumbu) has been identified as a tourism belt, adding that there are not less than 30 caves located within the constituency.
He said the biggest cave in the Puncak Borneo constituency is a cave located between Kampung Bratan and Kampung Simpok.
“The cave’s chambers can easily accommodate seven units of Boeing aeroplanes, while others are Fairy Cave and Wind Cave in Bau district
“We also have four hot spring locations, among them are Annah Rais Hot Spring, Panchor and Paku Hot Spring and more than 38 beautiful waterfalls, with the locally dubbed Jurassic Park located in Ulu Bengoh as the most popular waterfall, while seven others are located at Kampung Assum and Kampung Sadir in Padawan.
“We also have the popular Kampung Sapit dubbed as a village above the cloud,” he said.
Meanwhile Kampung Emperoh Karu headman Noing Sijim later thanked Willie for the grant, which will make it possible for the construction of the farm road, which will also link Kampung Emperoh Karu to Rembang Cave, thus initiating efforts to develop the cave as a tourism spot.
Padawan Adventure 4×4 Club president Ramces Tawang in his speech said the event is one the club’s activities in helping the local community to develop tourism products.
He said more such activities will be held in the future.
More than 100 participants, who are 4WD off-roaders, hikers and cavers led by Willie who drove his own 4WD vehicle participated in the expedition.
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