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KOTA KINABALU – From rabbit farms to cartoon mascots, a local activist is raising concern over Mount Kinabalu’s image due to the presence of several attractions in Kundasang that are unrelated to Sabah’s culture and heritage.
Former deputy director of Sabah Foundation Datuk Johan Ariffin Abdul Samad said that he had been to many heritage sites around the world and asserted that the tourist traps in Kundasang – where Kinabalu Park, Malaysia’s first World Heritage Site declared by Unesco, is located – are out of place.
He said that recently, there has been a “phenomenon” in Kundasang where its offerings include rabbit farms, an alpaca zoo, cat farms, “selfie” spots with replicas of a windmill, London phone booths, and cartoon mascots wandering around to amuse visitors in the area.
The activist openly pondered about the tourism strategy in Kundasang, seeing that these attractions are utterly unrelated to the culture and heritage of Sabah.
“What are we promoting in Sabah? It is such a shame.
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“It (Mount Kinabalu) is a World Heritage Site. It is supposed to display our heritage and culture to the world.
“People come from all over the world to see or climb the highest mountain in Southeast Asia; to explore the rich biodiversity and fauna around the area, and the cool weather. The view is priceless.
“Tourists don’t want to come and see and take pictures with cartoon characters with our heritage mountain as a backdrop. Imagine Mount Everest’s base camps full of these characters, they will be out of place,” he told The Vibes.
Johan added that Mount Kinabalu should be promoted as a heritage site, to have its beauty appreciated through walking trails and botanical gardens, among others.
He said other countries’ heritage sites are often very strict with rules of what can and cannot be done in the area, as opposed to the current situation at Mount Kinabalu.
“Also, is this (cartoon characters and rabbit farms) how we are employing our youth?” he asked. – The Vibes, July 19, 2022
