SEREMBAN, Dec 21 — The Negeri Sembilan government will draw up a standard operating procedure (SOP) for use by campsite operators to make camping activities safer, said Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Aminuddin Harun.
He said the state executive councillor of urban well-being, housing, local government and new villages had been directed to check with the federal authorities to come up with a clear guide for these operators.
“The Exco member also has to check with the division concerned on existing by-laws which can be streamlined to enable the eco-tourism industry to offer the maximum level of safety to holidaymakers.
“We can see the trend of people choosing to spend their holidays by going camping on beaches or in forests. So, we need a clear SOP for vacation on highlands, riverbanks,” Aminuddin told reporters after chairing the state Exco meeting here today.
He said the onus was also on consumers to ensure that the vacation sites they were visiting had obtained the necessary approvals and licensing from the authorities.
Aminuddin added that Negeri Sembilan did not have any specific laws to regulate camping activities.
“The state government did receive requests from eco-tourism associations for registration but we do not know with whom they should register. (At least) we should have an SOP drawn up with the agreement of the state and federal governments,” he said.
Aminuddin, on behalf of the state government, also conveyed his condolences to the families of those killed in the landslide at the Father’s Organic Farm in Batang Kali, Selangor, and sympathies to the flood victims in Terengganu and Kelantan.
He said agencies like the Public Works Department and local government authorities had identified several hotspots of landslides and sinkholes in the state, and forested hilly areas had been declared out of bounds for holidaymakers since October.
On another matter, Aminuddin said the state government was confident of netting revenue totalling RM500 million this year, as the collection so far had hit RM490 million, exceeding this year’s target of RM432 million.
— Bernama
