New Sipitang tourism product – river cruise | Daily Express Malaysia

SIPITANG: Kg Meligan has a new tourism product - a river cruise on a raft.

The Sindavon River Valley Cruise on the Sungai Meligan, was the result of the SK Meligan and the community making their river more attractive so that people to come and enjoy the scenic view.

Kg Meligan is about 90km from the township and the community comprises Muruts, Dusun and Lundayeh.

The highlight of the occasion was the raft crossing.

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The raft was specially constructed and decorated for the occasion. The crossing was epic in the sense that short though it was, in fact a mere 5 minutes, the entourage was able to view the lush greenery and hear the sound of the flowing river.

Guests are also treated to the Tarian Mansayau and Tarian Alang Rahaling, presented by the young local community dancers.

Headmaster of SK Meligan Birly Johnny said that the river cruise was a community effort and everyone put their heart and soul to make it a success.

He said planning the cruise took 10 days and involved parents and teachers of the school.

The visitors included Asst Education and Innovation Minister Jennifer Lasimbang who emphasised the three Es - education, environment and entrepreneurship.

The people would have to brainstorm on what products or services unique to the village can be marketable, said Jenifer.

Another cultural attraction was the dances called the Tarian Mansayau and Tarian Alang Rahaling. According to Birly, the dances are performed on special occasions such as weddings or when there are important guests.

Jenifer was presented with a handmade headgear called Silaung in Murut dialect.

“The Murut community is proud of their handmade products. Usually the women stay at home and produce many other kinds of ornaments such as woven baskets, mats, hats and others.

The skills were handed down through generations and if you walk through the township, you will be able to find many types of colourful handicrafts all made by our local community here,” said Birly.

The name Sindavon came from an area which was ravaged by fire due to a long draught. Hence, the latest tourism product was called “Sindavon River Cruise”.

According to Salbby Surang, a local operator who manages the river cruise, the trip is confined to 400 metres from one end of the river to the other. However, it depends on the depth of the river at that point of time.

“Some areas are rocky. Therefore, we really depend on the depth of the water to have the cruise, otherwise we can’t proceed,” he said

Besides their traditional costumes headgears and delicacies, they now have a river cruise.

Jenifer advised the community to cultivate a love for their surroundings and to plant more trees. She said it is for the betterment of the future generation.

It would also contribute to cooler climate and enhance water catchment.

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Birly said the community is proud of their traditional costumes. It is called Inalik Sandai and Pinongkolo (for women) while the man’s costume is called Batik Lumayou.

“We are so rich in heritage, culture and history. To add to our uniqueness, we have launched the river cruise. I hope many more outside the district will come and enjoy it,” he said.

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