KUCHING, Sept 13 — Kilometre (km) 0 of the Pan Borneo Highway in Telok Melano, will be the final stop for Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah and Raja Permaisuri Agong Tunku Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah to conclude their 11-day Kembara Kenali Borneo tour.
Located approximately 33 km from Sematan town, the Telok Melano-Sematan stretch is the first section of the Pan Borneo Highway to be completed and opened to the public since January 2019.
This stretch, situated in the southwest of Borneo and bordering the West Kalimantan region of Indonesia, is the starting point of the Pan Borneo Highway. It crosses the eastern part of the Samunsan Wildlife Sanctuary, as well as the Tanjung Datu National Park and Gunung Gading, which are major attractions for tourists.
It is also one of the legacies left behind by the late Tan Sri Adenan Satem for the people of Tanjong Datu during his tenure as the fifth Chief Minister of Sarawak from 2014 to 2017 before his passing due to heart complications.
The original plan was to construct the highway only from Sematan to Miri, but upon Adenan’s request at that time, the sixth Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, approved the Telok Melano package involving an additional cost of RM580 million.
Ever since the Telok Melano-Sematan stretch was opened, villagers in the area are no longer required to rely on boats to brave the South China Sea waves, especially to reach the nearest town, Sematan.
Currently, the journey from Sematan to Telok Melano through the road takes only 27 minutes to KM 0 in Telok Melano.
The area’s main attraction is its beach, situated near two villages, namely Kampung Telok Melano and Kampung Telok Serabang.
It has become a popular spot for recreation during weekends and public holidays, thus helping to boost the local economy, including through homestay businesses and small enterprises along the beach.
In the past, residents in the area, mostly fishermen and small-scale farmers, relied primarily on sea and agricultural produce to make a living. Now, they have better economic prospects with the expanding opportunities in tourism-related activities.
Al-Sultan Abdullah and Tunku Azizah, along with their entourage, arrived in Kuching on Tuesday and spent the night in the Sarawak capital before embarking on a 137km journey to reach KM 0.
Their Majesties started this expedition in Tawau, Sabah on Sept 3, covering a total distance of 2,154 km with stops at various places in the Land Below the Wind, as well as in Brunei and Sarawak, before arriving at Telok Melano today.
Al-Sultan Abdullah will officiate the groundbreaking ceremony of the Telok Melano Mosque and visit several attractions in the area before returning to Kuala Lumpur later in the evening.
