Emkay forest resort may open doors next month

THE Emkay Group of companies, controlled by property tycoon Tan Sri Mustapha Kamal Abu Bakar, may open the doors of its Belum Rainforest Resort in Pulau Banding, Gerik, Perak, by as early as next month.Mustapha is the chairman and dominant stakeholder of MK Land Holdings Bhd, a publicly traded property developer listed on the main board of Bursa Malaysia.He holds the stake in MK Land via Emkay Group.Meanwhile, Emkay Group's senior general manager, Yusof Abu Othman, said the resort is the first of two. The company is building it at a total cost of RM77 million."We will open 70 rooms in March and another 50 rooms next year. We will go all out this year on promotional activities such as participating in eco tourism shows and work closely with travel agents on offering travel packages."We expect mainly European or American tourists because they are the ones who appreciate nature," Yusof told reporters at the company's headquarters in Selangor last week.The company bought Pulau Banding in 2005 after the Perak state government called on Emkay to develop the 260ha island as the premier destination gateway of international ecotourism into Malaysia. Read More

(New Straits Times 14-2-2008)