BACK to travel writing. This time I suggest try one of the most interior towns of all – Pensiangan, a Murut name meaning located at the confluence of two rivers, in fact, two beautiful, crystal rivers – Saliu and Tagoh.
The reason is on my 3-5 December 2021 trip there with Tham Yau Kong, I heard Ansom Putiang, President of Murut Tahol Association, poured out his concern on what genuinely mattered to villagers of fantastic Kampung Salinatan.
Ansom said: “This is our plight, there is no economy here, so young people are leaving because they see no future.”
But Ansom, a learned primary school principal of 34 years, saw an economic future in ecotourism, who fought very hard to protect and conserve Kg Salinatan’s pristine river bound 500ha old growth forest and water catchment that is studded with a stock of belian trees, managed to persuade his young teacher nephew, Aloysius Robert, to form and become president of the
BACK to exciting travel writing as a roving reporter. The usual thing is everybody travels to places. What about travel to hearts and minds to see what unsung folks in Sabah’s Murut heartlands are thinking and doing?
In so doing, I was stunned by a core of real conservationists doing real conservation among people one least expects – Murut Tahol in the middle of nowhere set to monetise their stock of belian treasure standing rather than logged and cut down for short term money!
That happened December 3, 2021, in far flung valley-bound Kampung Salinatan, Pensiangan, hemmed in by pristine forests and soaring hills by the bank of crystal clear River Saliu.
After a scintillating afternoon boat battle up pure river Saliu against multiples of roaring rapids steered on by unbelievably skilful Murut lads, sights of undisturbed riparian reserves impressed all the way, sheer jungle, a stock of 500 year-old famous hardwood belian trees soaring by the river bank, e
IT’S back to original call as a travel writer – a roving reporter, venturing into the remotest parts of Sabah and bring back stories to city folks.
The challenge is great, the satisfaction immense. You can be in back-breaking 4WD over a logging road for hours without seeing any sign of civilisation, but suddenly a beautiful jungle-clad valley village popped up in front of your eyes!
In 1986, that was my appointment in old Sabah Times – everywhere I went, pristine rivers, intact forests, true culture inspired me: pure tea-leaf color water roared down multiple rapids over the Padas river, crystal clear Sapulut, Danum, Long Pasia and Segama rivers where you could see schools of big fish beside your raft. Even Kinabatangan river was only light yellow, intact forest canopies and massive trees soared around Batu Pungul