Fraser’s Hill in decline as infrastructure issues pile up

 

Malaysian Tourist Guides Council president Jimmy Leong is calling for the government to draw up a blueprint to revitalise Fraser’s Hill to its former glory. (Pahang Tourism pic)

PETALING JAYA: Fraser’s Hill is in decline, with residents’ complaints about multiple infrastructure issues falling on deaf ears, leaving the once popular Pahang tourist spot looking shabby.

Jimmy Leong, president of the Malaysian Tourist Guides Council, told FMT he is saddened to see the place in its present state of disrepair.

“Over the decades, I have seen Fraser’s Hill at its glorious peak, with even foreigners taking a liking to the resort, but with the current situation, I really feel disappointed and saddened, especially if nothing is being done to revitalise the place,” said Leong.

Leong said a recent trip revealed there were limited options for food and accommodation, with a lack of promotion resulting in “very minimal activity there”.

“Fraser’s Hill is not as successful as it was in the early days. I can confidently say it is in decline,” he said.

Leong added that the Pahang government is unlikely to prioritise the hill station as a tourist spot because it is looking to develop and promote other resorts in the state.

He urged the government to put Fraser’s Hill back on the top of the list again, given its rich historical background.

“The local authorities need to sit down and listen to the people. There must be a blueprint to revitalise Fraser’s Hill,” said Leong.

Issues such as poorly maintained drains and waste management, as well as regular power cuts, are something its residents and business owners have had to live with for quite a while now.

The hill’s nature and heritage society chairman Nik Jassmin Hew said she had presented a report to state agencies and officials earlier this year, setting out a list of development and infrastructure issues affecting the hilltop village.

However, she says no action has been taken to address the matters raised.

“The objective of this report is to identify the issues and to find solutions together, definitely not to point fingers or blame anyone,” she said.

Hew attributed deterioration of Fraser’s Hill to two factors: the failure of governing agencies having charge of the hill to transfer of knowledge between them, and the privatisation of services provided on the hill.

In 1968, the Fraser’s Hill Development Corporation (FHDC) was established to administer the hill area.

However, in 1997, as the tourism industry in Pahang took off, management of the hill was turned over to the Raub district council, while FHDC was folded into Tourism Pahang.

Hew’s report said the division of responsibility between these agencies has brought about little to no development for the highland. Her sentiments were echoed by many local business owners.

“These state entities cannot work together because they do not know their jurisdiction and they do not know what to do,” a business owner said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Previously, entities such as the public works department and Tenaga Nasional stationed workers on the hill permanently, allowing maintenance work to be carried out regularly, said Hew.

However, that work is now subcontracted to private companies, whose workers only visit when they are called. As a result, maintenance work on Fraser’s Hill has been neglected, she said.

Another concern among locals is the hill station’s poor drainage system which they say has resulted in clogged drains and causes frequent landslides.

During a two-day period of particularly heavy rainfall on Fraser’s Hill in January 2021, the authorities detected 139 landslides, many of which resulted in blocked roads.

Two years later, the damaged hillslopes have yet to be attended to, Hew noted in her report.

“Repairs need to begin immediately to avoid further land erosion and the area becoming a threat to safety,” the report added.

Blackouts have also become a regular occurrence in the area, another owner said, some of which can last up to 24 hours. The frequent disruptions have left businesses scrambling to find ways to trade throughout the day without electricity.

Business owners are hoping that the state’s executive councillors will visit Fraser’s Hill to discuss the issues they are facing, without the presence of FDHC and the Raub district council.

“We need people in the government who have passion,” said one owner.

FMT has reached out to the FHDC, Tourism Pahang and Raub district council for comment. - FMT