The International Rafting Expedi-tion along Sungai Pahang held successfully for the 7th consecutive year recently demonstrated that Pahang has many activities to offer in the tourism industry.
The expedition saw the participants who loved challenges on water pitting their skills against each other for glory.
Some had earlier competed in the Taman Negara Eco-Challenge last month, another gruelling race.
The expedition on bamboo-made rafts kicked off in Kuala Lipis and ended in the royal town of Pekan.
The overall distance was 329km and the 850 participants included youths, students, civil servants and members from non- governmental organisations.
The participants in 118 bamboo rafts tried to out-row one another while enjoying the scenery throughout the race.
The security aspects, medical facilities, food, drinks, shelters and entertainment were provided by the main organiser Bukit Fraser’s Development Corporation, a state government tour-ism agency.
State Arts, Culture, Tourism and Heritage Committee chairman Datuk Maznah Mazlan, the organising committee chairman, said the expedition not only focused on the challenges during the week-long journey, but the participants could also enjoy the breeze, sun, rain, and local food and entertainment during their stops in villages along Sungai Pahang.
Maznah said cooperation by many organisations including the armed forces, police, medical staff, and village security and development committees, had contributed to the expedition’s success.
“The expedition saw a unique kind of cooperation among the parties in-volved.
“For example, the food served to participants during the journey was prepared by the armed forces while the meals during their stops were prepared in a gotong-royong manner by villagers,” Maznah said.
She said ever since the expedition started in 2001, traditional local food, dances, culture and the history of the certain villages’ names had been revived.
“Traditional dances like tarian pelanduk, tarian labi-labi and tarian piring were local dances unknown to outsiders and they were exposed to the participants during their stops in villages,” she said.
Maznah said the government would compile all information related to history, culture and other related matters discovered during the expedition for publication.
The expedition began in Sungai Jelai in Kuala Lipis where the Regent of Pahang Tengku Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah officially started off the participants.
As a symbol of a Malay traditional event, a tandu (seat) was made for Tengku Abdullah to be carried by “warriors” to start the expedition.
An elephant from the Kuala Gandah Elephant Conservation Centre led the procession with Tengku Abdullah on the tandu.
He himself took a ride on a raft from Kuala Lipis to Kuala Lanar, a distance of about 10km by road.
There were seven stops throughout the journey - Jeram Landak, followed by Kampung Durian Hijau (both in Jerantut), Sanggang (Temerloh), Kuala Triang (Bera), Chenor (Maran), Kampung Baru Salong and Padang Rumbia (Pekan).
Entertainers including Karen (Aka-demi Fantasia 4), Ameng Ukays, Mat Over, dancers and musicians from the state Cultural Department were invited to entertain the participants during their rest and overnight stays.
The team from the Tanjung Gelang naval base was declared the overall cham-pions for the Tok Bahaman award.
Rafters from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia won the Mat Kilau award in the category for institutes of higher learning, Lipis Forestry Department won the Teja award for the best decorated raft while the Tourism Malaysia team won the Keringat Emas award for collecting the most rubbish from the river during the race.
Source: www.thestar.com (19 Mei 2007)
