Pairin: Efforts underway to popularise Sabah's second highest mountain
Thursday, 01 July 2004 (Source: Bernama)

TAMBUNAN: Efforts are underway to popularise and provide better climbing treks up Sabah's second highest mountain, Mount Trusmadi, which is located in this district.

Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Seri Joseph Pairin Kitingan said that besides having an attraction of its own Mt Trusmadi, at 2,462 metres high, would also complement the popularity of Southeast Asia's highest peak, Mt Kinabalu.

"It is a scenic peak, has waterfalls at various angles as well as a less rocky peak compared to Mt Kinabalu," said Pairin who is also Tambunan Assemblyman and Sabah Rural Development Minister.

However there was a need to provide good climbing facilities such as a better trek as well as more publicity to attract the people to scale the mountain, he said.

On Tuesday, Pairin chaired the Tambunan District Development Committee meeting where he urged the various departments to popularise the mountain.

He also urged the Sabah Forestry Department which managed the Trusmadi Forest Reserve to make the mountain an appealing attraction to climbers.

"Departments and agencies involved should take steps to rid the vicinity of pollution and clean up the surrounding area from garbage," he said.

He related his experience climbing the mountain with a group in the mid-1990s when it was littered with garbage.

Upon seeing this, the group conducted an impromtu cleaning up of the surroundings, he said.

Mt Trusmadi can be scaled up from Kampong Kaingaran here and it has two peaks of almost the same height.