TAPAH: The Lata Kinjang Forest Eco-Park has generated RM1.4 million through the arrival of more than 150,000 domestic and foreign tourists since it was upgraded in 2021 until January 2024.
Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Saarani Mohamad (pix) said the amount of income generated proves that the location in question has successfully provided employment and business opportunities to local residents who are among the Semai Orang Asli community.
“Thank you to all related parties for making the operation of Lata Kinjang Forest Eco-Park a success and turned it into a driving force for the local tourism economy.
“Hopefully this project can help drive Perak to achieve its goals for the prosperity of the state and the well-being of the people in line with Perak Sejahtera 2030 blueprint via 18 flagships which was to uplift Orang Asli,“ he said when opening the Sengoi Hik Discovery Centre here, today.
Lata Kinjang Forest Eco-Park was upgraded by the Northern Corridor Implementation Authority (NCIA) starting in 2021 with a total investment of RM2.7 million.
The development carried out involving three phases involved the upgrading project of various facilities such as surau, toilets, car park, campsite, ‘tube camp’ and others.
Meanwhile, NCIA chief executive Mohamad Haris Kader Sultan said development in the community at park focused on upgrading infrastructure, skills training and entrepreneurship as well as the establishment of Cooperative Orang Asli Lata Kinjang Berhad (KOALKB).
“The development model in the community here has proven to be successful and has shown a positive impact, especially in the socio-economic development of the Orang Asli community, not only in Lata Kinjang, but also provides economic spillover to the residents of the surrounding villages,“ he said.
He said NCIA plans to apply the same development model into strategic and high-impact projects in the Northern Corridor Economic Region (NCER) in the future.
The Sengoi Hik Discovery Centre, he said will be the newest attraction in addition to offering tourists an experience to learn more about the Orang Asli culture and biological diversity found in the park.
“What’s interesting is that at the Sengoi Hik Discovery Centre, visitors have the opportunity to interact directly with the local Orang Asli community, learning about their life, culture, and their competence and skills in preserving the environment,“ he said.
