Perak Sultan graces opening of Hentian Royal Belum Amanjaya in Gerik

GERIK: The Sultan of Perak, Sultan Nazrin Shah today graced the opening of the Hentian Royal Belum Amanjaya, which is a highway rest area and jetty complex on Pulau Banding, here today.
The ceremony was also attended by Raja Permaisuri of Perak Tuanku Zara Salim, Raja Muda Raja Jaafar Raja Muda Musa, Raja Di Hilir Raja Iskandar Dzulkarnain Sultan Idris and Raja Puan Muda Tunku Soraya Sultan Abdul Halim.
Also present were Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abd Kadir and his wife, Datin Seri Saripah Zulkifli, State Secretary Datuk Seri Abdul Puhat Mat Nayan and State Rural Development, Agriculture, Plantation, Information and Human Resource Development Committee chairman Datuk Saarani Mohamad.
Hentian Royal Belum Amanjaya, which was completed in 2016 and formerly known as Pangkalan Aman Public Jetty, is now equipped with a convenience store, food court, souvenir shop, parking area for cars and buses, as well as a helipad.
The development of the rest area and jetty complex, which will be the main gateway for tourists and the public to go to the Belum-Temenggor Tropical Rainforest area, was a joint-venture project between the Northern Corridor Implementation Authority (NCIA) and the Public Works Department, Gerik District Council, and the Perak State Parks Corporation (PTNPK).
In his welcoming speech, Saarani, who is the Kota Tampan assemblyman, expressed hope that the rest area and jetty complex would boost the state's environment and tourism sectors.
"The tourism industry is one of the biggest and rapidly-growing industries, creating jobs and generating incomes while preserving heritage, culture and tourist spots," he said.
According to Saarani, Royal Belum recorded the highest number of tourist arrivals at 27,327 during the 2017 Visit Perak Year, compared to 23,375 in 2016 and 20,490 in 2015.
"It was indeed a drastic increase from only 9,310 in 2010," he said.
He said the rest area and the jetty complex had also drawn many foreign tourists to Royal Belum with the majority being from European countries like Netherlands, Switzerland, Italy, France and Germany.
"Tourists from other countries like America, Indonesia, Japan, China and Singapore have also made Royal Belum an eco-tourism destination in Malaysia," he said.
Meanwhile, NCIA chief executive Datuk Redza Rafiq Abdul Razak said the construction of the RM20.4 million complex on the 1.62-hectare land would boost the local community's economy with the creation of job and business opportunities.
"As a result of the NCIA's holistic approach implemented from 2010 to 2017, the number of tourist arrivals has increased by 200% and is expected to grow even further," he said. — Bernama