US$734,259 Needed To Upgrade Malaysia's Lone Communist Tunnel Into Tourist Magnet

By Noor Amera Mhd Nawi BALING (Kedah, Malaysia), June 7 (Bernama) -- A tunnel which was once used by the dreaded communist terrorists during the Emergency era, is set to become a tourist attraction, following a US$734,259 (RM3 million) upgrade of its infrastructural facilities. The tunnel, which begs to be accorded heritage status for its historical value, was the only one of its kind used by the communists in then-Malaya and had served as the largest operation room. "Like what has been done in Thailand and Vietnam, we should commercialise it as one of the new tourism products," Baling District Officer, Dzohir Md Zain told Bernama in a recent interview. He said the infrastructural facilities would encompass a museum, Malaysian Armed Forces gallery and a Malayan Communist Party gallery which would display a collection of heritage from the Emergency era. According to Dzohir, plans were afoot to develop certain areas to accomodate animals like elephants and horses that will become a tourist magnet. The communist tunnel has an estimated length of 150 to 200 metres and is located about two kilometres from the Thailand border in Baling of Malaysia's nothern state, Kedah. He explained that development of facilities in the area would also generate various sources of side income for local residents, including those who owned four-wheel drive (4WD) vehicles. The locals could use the 4WD to ferry tourists through pathways to narrow and unpaved areas as it is an ardous task for normal vehicles to ply the terrain to the communist tunnel. --BERNAMA