Baram - Long Banga, a settlement of the Saban ethnic group located a few hours walk from the border of Indonesia`s Kalimantan, has the potential to be turned into a tourism development area, Baram member of parliament Datuk Jacob Dungau Sagan said.
He said the settlement came under the Long San-Punang Kelapang area in the Baram eastern region which had been identified by the government for tourism and agropolitan development.
"The unique side of Long Banga is its people. They may not be big in terms of population but have family ties across the Malaysia-Indonesia border," he said when launching a "Jom Balik Kampung" campaign at Long Banga.
Sagan, who is International Trade and Industry Deputy Minister, said Long Banga`s serene environment and high altitude location made it suitable for eco-tourism.
He said the Sabans, being the settlement`s dominant ethnic group, should continue to preserve their cultural heritage as it not only serve as a tourism product but also as a mark of their identity.
Being one of the minority groups in the country, he said, the Sabans faced a great challenge to defend their culture.
"It will be up to the present generation of Sabans to keep their culture alive and nurture love and appreciation for their culture among the new generation so that it will continue to exist," he added.
Apart from Long Banga, which is about eight hours` drive from Miri, Sagan also visited Long Pelutan, a Kayan settlement in the upper Baram area.
During the trip, he also distributed minor rural project grants totalling RM165,000 to 13 local bodies.
Source:
http://www.bernama.com (December 14, 2008)