Overall, an impressive year but the state can do more to promote tourism and boost the economy

All is well: Gopeng Ornamental Fish breeders chairman Wong Yoke Thiam (second from right) and secretary Chong Lai San (right) handing a memorandum to Dr Chua during the dialouge session with local residents in Ipoh while Deputy Perak state secretary Datuk Abu Bakar Said (left) and Dr Mah (third from left) look on. — filepic

HOW time flies! This is the usual reaction for many as the year draws to a close.

But the days, weeks and months of this year appear to pass by very fast.

The reason for such a feeling is apparent for politicians who have been expecting the general election to take place this year.

By now, we can say for sure that the general election will be held next year, and to be exact, it will be completed by the first half of 2013.

So, there is no point speculating on the once-in-five-year event any more.

But to be fair, many of the politicians did not just sit and wait, or speculate on the general election.

Perak is a good example, whereby the state has been able to put up an overall impressive report card.

And there were interesting happenings of which Perak folk can be proud.

Lenggong Valley in Hulu Perak is now a world heritage site.

The declaration by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco), on June 30 was most timely, as this year is also Visit Perak Year.

Tourism is a big income earner, and hopefully the declaration would be followed by proper steps to enable the site to live up to the prestigious image, and become a famous tourist destination in the near future.

The Lenggong Valley is the fifth site in Malaysia to be bestowed the recognition.

The rest are Malacca Historical City, George Town in Penang, Sarawak's Gunung Mulu National Park and Taman Kinabalu in Sabah.

Well, it may be interesting if these four sites be ranked by the relevant experts on how the recognition has made a difference to them thereafter.

While Lenggong Valley is the latest to join the ranks, its potential to evolve into a world class tourism spot is there, provided there are proper plans to achieve the goal.

Ad hoc plans, which the authorities are quite notorious for, should not be repeated.

For instance, it really does not make sense for Kellie's Castle, a historical site in Batu Gajah near Ipoh, to undergo massive renovations or upgrading this year, which is also Visit Malaysia Year.

In fact, some of its renovation plans have to go back to the drawing board after they were found to be not suitable.

Hardly six months after the Unesco declaration for Lenggong Valley, Information, Communications and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim announced an allocation of RM30mil to upgrade and build facilities for the exhibition centre, archaeology museum and the Lenggong Gallery in Lenggong, and that the work would start next month.

But Lenggong Valley is not any tourist site.

What would happen to Lenggong Valley eventually is more than just plans to develop it or allocations set aside for it.

In fact, haphazard development would only inflict more harm than good.

And this is particularly so for cultural and heritage sites.

Last, but not least, the authorities should also place emphasis on maintenance of tourist sites.

Like it or not, Malaysia is also notorious for its poor maintenance culture.

Meanwhile, I also feel that Perak which is rich in history, has yet to really tap into it, and turn it into a tourism product.

The tin mining industry is one example.

Besides being one of the exhibits in museums, tin mining which had driven the state's economy in the good old days is only mentioned in history books.

I really wonder how the authorities can overlook the tin mining industry as part of the country's cultural heritage, especially when we have a city — Ipoh — which is literally built on tin.

On that note, credit must be given to former tin miner-turned-politician, Tan Sri Hew See Tong, 81, for coming up with a tin mining museum — the first in the country.

The museum, costing some RM2mil, opened doors to the public in the fourth quarter of this year.

Located at Bandar Baru Kampar in Kampar, entrance is free of charge.

Hew, a miner for almost four decades, is also a former Kampar MP, and he certainly feels nostalgic about the good old days.

Meanwhile, the Perak government has also made another significant progress in resolving some long standing land issues in the state this year.

Last month, 375 farmers, including 163 ornamental fish breeders, got the government's approval to lease the land they have been working on from the state government linked companies.

With that, it ended the anxiety over the possibility of eviction that have plagued them, some for almost three decades.

The breakthrough came in March last year when the breeders highlighted their plight to MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek and Perak executive councillor Datuk Dr Mah Hang Soon.

The Gopeng breeders exported some RM6mil worth of ornamental fish a year.

And what makes it even more interesting is that they have been utilising ex-mining land which have been left vacant for the purpose.

The potential for the farms to double as a tourist destination is certainly there, and perhaps it is time to make a new year resolution on that.

Overall, this year has been a good year for Perak folk.

The mood in the state has been upbeat generally.

Let's hope the good would prevail, and tomorrow is always better than today, be it a new year or not.

-The Star-

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