PEKAN: As the Chini state constituency prepares to go to the polls next month, Amran Yahya has one request for the soon-to-be-elected assemblyman.
All the 63-year-old wants is for the new representative to focus on reopening the Lake Chini Resort and work towards returning the country's second-biggest natural freshwater lake to its glory days.
The father-of-two spent 34 years working as a boatman, bringing tourists to see the various sights around the lake, until the resort ceased operations in November last year after its operator's contract ended.
Amran, who joined when the resort opened in 1985, said he has seen the highs and lows of the resort, but never once expected that the holiday resort would shut down and be bereft of visitors.
"I believe a lot of people who will come to Chini for the by-election would be eager to visit the lake, but sadly, they will not be able to experience it. The main entrance is closed, so they will not be able to reach the resort unless they choose to take a boat ride from elsewhere.
"The historical lake is blessed with rich biological resources and offers a breathtaking view. The boatman community here hopes that once a new elected representative is chosen, the individual will help to promote the lake, and help regain its popularity," he told NST.
Amran said when the resort closed down, there were about 23 registered boatmen, but only a few still went to the lake to wait for customers.
"During its glory years, busloads of visitors from Europe, China and the Middle East came here and they never missed the opportunity to go on a boat ride around the lake. Boatmen were in high demand and advance bookings were made to secure our services.
"There has been a drop of visitors since 2004, but since a National Service training camp opened near the lake, parents who were visiting their children at the camp used to drop by. The camp closed down several years ago and since then, tourist arrivals have been low," he said, adding that some of the Orang Asli who used to work as boatmen at the lake have chosen to tap rubber for an income.
The Felda settler said each time a different operator took charge, they had different ways of doing things and promoting the lake, which played a vital role in attracting people to come here.
"The resort building is still in good condition and only needs to be refurbished. The premises have all the required facilities, and introducing some new activities would certainly attract people to visit, stay over and tour the area.
"Besides the boat ride and resort, the lotus flowers which cover the lake's surface are another attraction, along with the nearby villages of the Jakun tribe who made and sold fine wood carvings to visitors. The lake area has a lot of potential and can be a crowd puller, but requires proper planning," he said, adding that he now does odd jobs in the village.
Meanwhile his son Muhammad Azarol Hafiz, 32, said a majority of the resort staff who grew up in Felda Chini have moved elsewhere to secure other jobs.
Azarol, who joined his father as a boatman in 2010, said these days, he and his father bring anglers to the lake for fishing activities, including some who travel from Johor and Singapore.
Second-generation Felda settler and contractor, Datuk Zairul Asmadi Mohd Sabies, 44, said previously that there are plans to build a new resort along with a golf course and homestay units across the lake, but it never materialised.
"The location had been identified and a plan was drawn with minimum impact to the environment. Golf as the main attraction, along with several other activities for the entire family to stay over," he said, adding that the project never took off due to a lack of serious investors.
Felda settler Romanizam Jamin, 45, said iron ore mining activities near the lake have destroyed the view and prevented people from visiting the place.
"The lake-side resort in a forest area is certainly a dream vacation, but sadly, once you take a boat ride, one will notice the iron ore mining activities and red barren hills. The government has to stop the mining activities before they plan to develop the lake," he said, adding that if nothing is done soon, the lake might be forgotten.
Tasik Chini, recognised by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) in May 2009 as the first biosphere reserve in the country, has been making headlines for the wrong reasons in recent years, after its ecosystem was claimed to be in a critical situation due to unregulated logging and mining activities.
The three-cornered Chini by-election on July 4 will see Barisan Nasional's Mohd Sharim Md Zain going against two independent candidates: Tengku Datuk Zainul Hisham Tengku Hussin and Mohd Syukri Mohd Ramli.