KUANTAN, Feb 13 — The floods and mudflows that occurred in Bukit Tinggi, Bentong, yesterday did not affect the Janda Baik resort area, which is located on higher grounds, according to resort operators.
A Janda Baik tourism centre operator, Wan Abd Malik Wan Hamat, 55, said it rained heavily in the area for an hour from about 5pm but the river did not burst its banks.
He hoped people would not be afraid to choose Janda Baik as a vacation destination, especially during the school holiday beginning next week.
“As a tourism operator, I definitely give priority to the safety of visitors. If the situation is not safe, I myself will tell them.
“In fact, if it rains for a few days, I will contact those who have made bookings to change their dates of stay,” he said when contacted here today.
Wan Abd Malik, who has been running the resort for 15 years, also hoped Malaysians would give their support to tourism stakeholders in Janda Baik, who are now looking to rebuild their business after the severe flooding in May last year.
A 30-year-old chalet worker, Hazrul Izmeil Idzman, also confirmed that the heavy rain yesterday only caused a slight rise in the river level, which returned to normal after the rain stopped.
“I hope people know that activities here (Janda Baik) are continuing as usual. There were also people staying at the chalets yesterday, and picnic activities went on.
“Safety issues are important. Locals often discuss this issue, especially during uncertain weather conditions, in order to avoid untoward incidents,” he said.
Another resort operator in Janda Baik, who only wants to be known as Azizah, 52, said she often obtained safety information from authorities before receiving tourists.
Azizah, who owns more than five chalets, said she would also get safety tips from police if a large group was heading to her place by bus.
“We don’t make arbitrary decisions because it is about people’s lives. If the situation is not safe, I will tell customers not to come,” she added. — Bernama
