Besides the primates, which make their home in a sanctuary in Weston, enterprising locals also offer river cruises on the Weston River.
Lumadan assemblyman Kamarlin Ombi feels the tourism industry in his constituency is ready to take off, especially with more tourist arrivals from China.
“Weston used to be known for just fishing villages but now tourism is growing in the area,” Kamarlin told FMT.
“Local and foreign tourists, mostly from China, are coming in droves to my constituency. In places like Garama and Binduka, they have three tourism packages that let visitors watch proboscis monkeys, sunsets and fireflies. They’re a hot sell.
“With proper promotion, these tourism activities can see more growth that would help improve the residents’ livelihood.”
Kamarlin’s state seat is located in the district of Beaufort in the interior of Sabah, some 90km south of Kota Kinabalu.
Beaufort town is the gateway to many areas further south, all the way to the Sabah-Sarawak border, and the duty-free island of Labuan.
Kamarlin said the hotel industry in the town can be enhanced to tie in with the tourism industry in his constituency.
“Recently, I launched a three-star hotel in Beaufort town. I’m hoping that more hotels will be built there so that foreign tourists have more choices in terms of accommodation.
“More economic spin-offs could be created too, such as shopping activities.
“Beaufort town is growing fast. Shops here used to close at 5pm but now they buzz with activities and people into the night, just like in Kota Kinabalu,” said the Sabah Umno man.
However, on the flip side, Kamarlin said people in his area, including those who make a living in agriculture, are not spared from the impact of the rising cost of living.
“That is why we need help from many government agencies, such as the Sabah Rubber Industry Board (LIGS), Risda (Rubber Industry Smallholders Development Authority) and Felcra (Federal Land Consolidation and Rehabilitation Authority),” he said.
“These agencies have helped open land for rubber tree planting to help raise the people’s income, for example in Kampung Ulu Linkungan.”
Lumadan is home to a palm oil mill operated by state corporation Sawit Kinabalu Sdn Bhd, which produces crude palm oil and palm kernel oil.
Residents involved in the oil palm sector are getting help too, according to the assemblyman.
One of the programmes aimed at eradicating poverty, especially hard-core poverty in Sabah, is the Mini Estate Sejahtera or Mesej.
Mesej is a holistic poverty eradication project where the focus groups are not only provided with houses but also a stable income increment.
“As part of the Mesej programme, the government gives land for the planting of oil palms in the constituency.
“For example, this year, we will select 33 participants in Garama for this project, where they will also be given a house and electricity supply,” Kamarlin said.
Kamarlin was a schoolteacher before going into politics full time. He is now nearing the end of his second term as Lumadan assemblyman.
Lumadan, along with another state seat Sindumin, are within the parliamentary constituency of Sipitang. Barisan Nasional (BN) swept all three seats in the 2013 general election.
Ahmad Bujang is the assemblyman in Sindumin while Sipitang is represented in the Dewan Rakyat by Sabah Umno veteran Sapawi Ahmad.
According to statistics from the official Sabah government website, there are 66,406 residents in Beaufort, 39.86% or 26,469 of whom are Other Bumiputera, 21.2% (14,080) Malay, 17.12% (11,372) Kadazandusun, 5.18% (3,443) Bajau, 2.55% (1,696) Murut, 5.75% (3,820) Chinese and 2.04%(1,358) others.
In the last election, Kamarlin garnered 5,707 votes, which was 2,401 votes ahead of PKR’s Dojit Muda, while independent Brahim Awang Anak got only 107 votes.
Kamarlin believes he can beat the opposition candidates again because of his connection with government servants and his performance.
“Because of my background, I have developed a close relationship with government servants, especially those in the teaching profession.
“I always attend their events and we maintain our rapport. I think I’ll be able to garner a lot of support from them and also the other constituents, whom I’ve helped a lot.”
Kelulut honey, a new industry?
Meanwhile, Kamarlin is keen on further developing a niche food industry in the form of “madu kelulut” or honey from stingless bees in the Lumadan constituency.
Kelulut honey, said to have medicinal and health-promoting qualities, is gaining popularity and is easy to cultivate.
“This can just be developed around the house and has a great international demand, so its potential should be explored,” he said.
According to Kamarlin, his constituents should also look into farming birds’ nests.
“Birds’ nests may also yield a good income for those interested, not only in my constituency but also in the state.
“Hopefully, the government can build more facilities, such as roads, water pipelines, and more, to encourage this activity.”