SITIAWAN, 31 Dec 2017:
The Perak government plans to turn a British army underground bomb shelter, believed to be the first of such built during World War II, as the latest tourist attraction in the state.
However, Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abd Kadir said the state government would first obtain more feedback on the historical finding before embarking on the necessary efforts for the plan.
“We will work on getting cooperation from the Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd, the Tourism and Culture Ministry and the Transport Ministry.
“I will visit the bomb shelter. It would be fascinating for Perak to make the place as one of its tourism products so that the public can xperience it themselves,” he told reporters after visiting Tanjung Kepah beach in Lekir here yesterday.
Discovered by Malaya Historical Group four days ago, the shelter, measuring 30 feet by 30 feet, was built in 1940 as protection from air strikes.
Zambry also said the Tanjung Kepah beach has the potential to become a tourist attraction in the Manjung district and a recreational area for the local community.
As such, he said the state government provided an initial allocation of RM100,000 to develop the 1km stretch of beach.
“There is potential as a tourist area. It is covered by pokok api-api (avicennia) and mangroves trees that need to be maintained. It has become one of the locations for the locals to look for sea shells and so on.
“The development in the area would involve the construction of kindergarten, waqaf shops, cycling tracks and stalls.”
– Bernama