Terian, Penampang
KOTA KINABALU: Penampang is poised to become a new centre for agro-industry and tourism with the implementation of the Moyog Agro-Industry and Tourism Park initiative, or MANTAP.
Chairman of the MANTAP Executive Group, Datuk Stephen Sampil, said that this will attract more tourists and visitors to Penampang, especially to the areas of Moyog, Timpangoh, Terian, and Buayan.
“It is time for Penampang, particularly the Upper Penampang area, to seize the opportunity of welcoming millions of tourists to Sabah. This will indirectly improve the standard of living for the village residents.
“Currently, even though Upper Penampang is very close to the city of Kota Kinabalu, with beautiful views overlooking Kota Kinabalu and the West Coast, fresh air, and natural beauty, only a few tourists visit this area due to the lack of accommodation and related facilities.
“In this regard, MANTAP aims to address these accommodation and facility issues so that the potential of this area can be utilized for all stakeholders involved,” he said.
He made these remarks after chairing the MANTAP Establishment Meeting here on Wednesday.
Stephen, who is also the Deputy President of the Momogun National Congress (MNC) and Vice President of the Kadazandusun Chamber of Commerce (KCCI), said that the establishment of MANTAP is in line with the aspirations outlined in the Penampang Development Plan inspired by Datuk Ewon Benedick, the current Member of Parliament for Penampang.
He said that the main component of MANTAP is to create a total of 750 accommodation rooms, including related facilities, or about 20 accommodation rooms per village.
“The implementation period will be 5 to 10 years (2025–2035). With the availability of accommodation facilities, we will be able to attract tourists and visitors to the Penampang area, especially the Upper Penampang area,” he said.
