James Kon
Following a trip to the Temburong District, the Chinese Chamber of Commerce Bandar Seri Begawan (CCC BSB) is seeking cooperation with travel companies to further boost local tourism.
Organised by the CCC BSB’s Young Entrepreneur and Women Entrepreneur divisions, the trip involved around 50 members of the association, including CCC BSB President Malcolm Lim Tiong Han @ Lim Peh Beng.
The delegation’s first stop was the Pai Yuek School Temburong (PYS Temburong), where they were welcomed by PYS Temburong Chairman Lim Eng Bang and Principal Thong Kawang Soon.
Currently the sole Chinese school in the district, PYS Temburong has 83 students, of whom only 10 per cent are ethnic Chinese. At the cost of operating at more than BND10,000 per month, the school’s only source of funding is from the students’ monthly fees.
The CCC BSB President and executive members presented a BND2,000 donation to the school, which will be used to improve the facilities and the students’ education.
The delegation’s next stop was to a quarry company in Temburong, before moving on to Hazeeyah Agro Farm, specialising in the production of salted duck eggs.
Owned by Nurhaziyah binti Abdul Rahman and her husband, the farm produces around 400 duck eggs per day for the local market. The business set up in 2016 has grown steadily since, with thousands of ducks bred on the farm.
The CCC BSB delegation later toured Pekan Bangar and visited a longhouse. Malcolm Lim said, “The main objective of our trip is to encourage local tourism and to gain a better understanding of the local culture, food and geography.”
He added, “I really have high hopes that the Chinese Chamber of Commerce of Bandar Seri Begawan can invest in the tourism sector, especially in Temburong. “We are seeking cooperation from local companies to further improve the facilities and safety measures at places like the mini-zoo, potential hiking trails, scenic spots and poultry farms. We can bring in ideas from abroad and incorporate them to create more attractions, including a cultural village.”
Lim while emphasising the need to create more publicity for local attractions, said, “I hoped that local tourism can be improved by adding more attractive packages in Temburong for people of all ages. The opening of the Sultan Haji Omar ‘Ali Saifuddien Bridge by the Brunei Government has also helped to make travel to Temburong much easier now.”