Is Tasik Chini still a tourist destination?

For years, Tasik Chini’s unique and beautiful biodiversity has brought tourists flocking to Pahang, for a glimpse of its wondrous lotus garden. While the lake contributed to the state’s economic wealth as a tourist attraction, it had further provided a source of income to the Jakun community that populate the edge of the lake.

You may not be surprised to know that the Orang Asli in Tasik Chini are heavily involved in the tourism industry.

As long-time inhabitants of the area, the Jakun have an intimate knowledge of the plants, animals and terrain. Their expertise makes them perfect guides for an outsider looking to broaden their perspectives.

The tourism industry in Tasik Chini spans several sectors, with several Orang Asli serving as tour or jungle-trekking guides for those who visit the area, while others provide home-stay services; for example, the Kijang Mas Gumum Chalet, Rajan Jones Guest House and Wira Gumum Resorts.

There are also those who act as boatmen for visitors to admire Tasik Chini’s floating garden up close. Unfortunately, with the constant logging and mining in the area, the natural forestry and biodiversity has been steadily depleting throughout the years. Tasik Chini’s tourist count has been decreasing, in line with the degradation of the lake.

The locals rely on ecotourism for their continued survival and prosperity.

The community is thus not only impacted by a loss in their environment – from which they had long relied on as their source of food, water, medicine and income – but also have been driven to move away from their traditional occupations to find employment elsewhere. The Jakun community has begun moving to the plantations and mining companies for jobs.

Additionally, the community’s role in tourism is impacted issues of land ownership.

The iconic Lotus flowers used to cover the surface of the lake and it was a major attraction. However, the flowers are no longer blooming. - STR/FARIZUL HAFIZ AWANG

The recently released EIA report on Tasik Chini exposed the identity of the illegal mining company which is currently violating the government’s commitment towards preservation and rehabilitation. The company is owned directly by Pahang royalty, exhibiting crass disregard for the broader economic implications in the area. The report concluded that the mining activities would not only deplete Tasik Chini’s environmental beauty, but the potential mine dust dispersion would depreciate the value of the lake’s aesthetic qualities. The villagers themselves stated in news articles that the constant mining, which begun in 2009 and continues to this day, has destroyed the beauty of the lake and its rivers.

This recent project will no doubt negatively impact the flora and fauna which populate the area; it will continue to worsen Tasik Chini’s value as a tourist attraction in the coming years. With the upcoming UNESCO Biosphere Reserve review, Tasik Chini is in danger of losing its status internationally recognised status as a site for ‘sustainable development’.

In 2019, Pahang boasted 14 million tourists. The number is an increase from their previous year, and Pahang served as the most visited state in the country.

COVID19 has created further challenges to an already vulnerable community. The restriction of movement have all but stopped the flow of tourists in the area, and to make matters worse, the illegal mining project continues to cause harm to both the lake and the forest. The locals have been forced to fend for themselves during a global pandemic.