By: Rosli Mansor Ahmad Razali
IPOH: The Qing Xin Ling Leisure and Cultural Village in Taman Saikat will be temporarily closed following a fatal incident involving a local tourist yesterday.
Chairman of the Tourism, Industry, Investment, and Corridor Development Committee of the state, Loh Sze Yee, stated that the decision was made to facilitate investigations into the tragic incident.
“The state government has decided to temporarily close the area to ensure the safety of visitors.
“I have discussed this matter with local representatives and relevant authorities. I believe it is necessary to review and reassess the safety aspects of the site.
“At the same time, the state government has issued letters to all Local Authorities (PBT) and District and Land Offices (PDT) to review safety aspects to ensure the safety of tourists,” he said at a press conference at Qing Xin Ling this afternoon.
Yesterday, a local tourist was fatally injured after being struck by a falling rock at the Qing Xin Ling Leisure and Cultural Village, Taman Saikat. The incident occurred while the victim was accompanying tourist friends from Vietnam.
According to Loh, investigations are also focusing on old temples built traditionally, which should require reports from consulting experts to ensure the safety of the building structures, especially within limestone cave areas.
“Although there are many ecotourism areas in the state, their construction does not adhere to specifications or monitoring by the relevant agencies.
“We will refer to skilled agencies such as PDT or the Department of Minerals and Geoscience (JMG). The government will take further action based on the recommendations and directives of the relevant authorities,” he said.
