Guide Book Royal Belum State Park For more information, please contact: Perak State Parks Corporation Tingkat 1, Kompleks Pejabat Kerajaan Negeri, Daerah Hulu Perak, JKR 341, Jalan Sultan Abd Aziz, 33300 Gerik, Perak Darul Ridzuan. T: 05-7914543 W: www.royalbelum.my Contents Author: Nik Mohd. Maseri bin Nik Mohamad Royal Belum - Location 03 Local Community 25 Editors: Roa’a Hagir | Shariff Wan Mohamad | Lau Ching Fong | Neda Ravichandran | Siti Zuraidah Abidin | Introduction 05 Interesting Sites and Activities Christopher Wong | Carell Cheong How To Get There 07 within Royal Belum 29 Design & layout: rekarekalab.com Local History 09 Sites and Activities 31 ISBN: Conservation History 11 Fees And Charges 32 Printed by: Percetakan Imprint (M) Sdn. Bhd. Organisation of Royal Belum State Park 13 Tourism Services and Accommodation in 33 Printed on: FSC paper Physical Environment 14 Belum-Temengor 35 Habitats 15 Useful contacts 36 Photo credits: WWF-Malaysia Biodiversity Temengor Lake Tour Operators Association 37 Tan Chun Feng | Shariff Wan Mohamad | Mark Rayan Darmaraj | Christopher Wong | Azlan Mohamed | – Flora 17 Conclusion 38 Lau Ching Fong | Umi A’zuhrah Abdul Rahman | Stephen Hog | Elangkumaran Sagtia Siwan | – Fauna 19 - 22 Further Reading Mohamad Allim Jamalludin | NCIA – Avifauna 23 Additional photos courtesy of: Perak State Parks Corporation 02 Royal Belum – Location Titiwangsa Range and selected National and State Parks in Peninsular Malaysia. KEDAH Hala Bala THAILAND Wildlife Sanctuary PERLIS Bang Lang STATE PARK National Park PERLIS THAILAND Kangar Langkawi Kota Bharu Alor Setar Royal Belum KEDAH ROYAL BELUM State Park STATE PARK PENANG NATIONAL PARK KELANTAN Butterworth PENANG Kuala Terengganu GUNUNG STONG STATE PARK TERENGGANU Amanjaya PERAK Forest Reserve TAMAN NEGARA Ipoh Banding Forest Reserve SOUTH CHINA SEA Gerik Forest Reserve Temengor Forest Reserve Kuantan PAHANG SELANGOR SELANGOR STATE PARK KUALA LUMPUR Shah Alam NEGERI SEMBILAN ENDAU ROMPIN Seremban STATE PARK ENDAU ROMPIN STRAITS OF MALACCA MALACCA NATIONAL PARK PERAK KELANTAN GUNUNG LEDANG Malacca Town NATIONAL PARK JOHOR Johor Bharu SINGAPORE Capital City Titiwangsa Range Royal Belum is located within the sub-district of Hulu Perak District, bordered on its north by Thailand, Selected National & State parks (›1000ha) east by Kelantan, west by the Gerik Forest Reserve, and south by the Amanjaya Forest Reserve 03 04 Introduction Royal Belum comprises an area of 117,500 hectares in the state of Perak, in northern Peninsular Malaysia, contiguous to the Bang Lang National Park and Hala-Bala Wildlife Sanctuary in the southern Thai province of Yala. It’s an important linkage as its position connects the remaining forests in South Thailand and the northern part of the Malay Peninsula to the southern part, through the Titiwangsa Range. Royal Belum is the second largest terrestrial protected area in Peninsular Malaysia and is part of the Titiwangsa Range landscape. Belum-Temengor has been identified as a priority area for tigers and elephants under the National Tiger Conservation Action Plan and National Elephant Conservation Action Plan and it has also been identified as an Important Bird Area by Birdlife International. The nearest town is Gerik, which is some 45 km southwest. The East West highway which was completed in 1989 connects the northwestern parts on the west coast with the northeastern parts of the peninsula. This highway divides the Belum-Temengor forest complex. Royal Belum is located 2.4 km north of the highway and extends until the border with Thailand. There is a jetty at Banding island, where one can depart to venture into Royal Belum or southwards into Temengor. 05 The Perak River, the second longest river in Peninsular Malaysia, originates from Royal Belum. 06 How To Get There Legend Towns Highway Entry point (Banding Jetty) Travelling from the south, take the PLUS North-South THAILAND Highway, (or the old trunk road) to Kuala Kangsar and from there, take the exit to Gerik. After Gerik, take the East-West KEDAH Highway and disembark at Banding. BETONG Royal Belum From the north, travel south through the North-South State Park JELI Highway or the local trunk-road, and follow the signboard PENGKALAN HULU to Gerik, which can go through Baling or Pengkalan Hulu. The Banding jetty is the usual meeting point with your Banding EAST-WEST HIGHWAY boatman or guide. BALING Island There is no public transportation from Gerik to Banding, but one can take the regular express buses plying the East-West PULAU GERIK Highway, and disembark at Gerik then charter a local taxi to PINANG Temengor lake Banding Jetty. NORTH-SOUTH HIGHWAY Anyone wanting to enter the State Park, MUST have a permit from Perak State Parks Corporation (PSPC), which can be obtained through the local guides or tour operators. Normally it takes one working day for the permits to be issued and with KELANTAN LENGGONG an entry fee charged. Via highway, one could drive to Royal Belum within few hours. PERAK From Penang (2.5 hours), from Kuala Lumpur (4-5 hours) TAIPING One could have a stop to see the Malaysian Public Works KUALA KANGSAR Department (JKR) East-West Highway Monument at a site near Sri Banding Army Camp. During the construction of the highway, there was a raid by the communist terrorists that killed three JKR workers and the monument was erected on 1 IPOH July 1982, to commemorate those who were killed Straits of Malacca From KUALA LUMPUR 07 08 Local History The jungle is not impenetrable; roaming herds of elephants modify the forest, creating trails that humans and other mammals share. Beneath the canopy, these patchworks of jungle-trails become more permanent, once used by man and forms a network, used for hunting, communications, and overland trade. During the ancient times agarwood, camphor, damar river valleys of the Jelai, Anglo-Siamese Treaty 1909 Communist Party of Malaya previously a number of goods were transported resin (for lighting), elephant Pergau, Stong, Nenggiri, where it was agreed that (CPM), used this jungled Malay villages along the by elephants from Kuala tusks, rhino horns and Tomoh, Taduh and Belum. this area belongs to the area as one of their bases to upper reaches of Sg. Perak. Kangsar, the then state tortoise-shells collected Federated Malay Settlement harass the Japanese Army The entire population of capital of Perak, following by the Orang Asli The settlement at Kampung of Perak. As this area in Malaya. these villages were moved the river-valley crossing the (indigenous people). Belum Lama is part of this was too remote from the out to an area south of Gerik northern watershed to Siam migration of people from capital, it was by-passed Upper Perak area was under during the Emergency (now Thailand), where they Parts of Hulu Perak and Pattani in search of gold. by development due to tight security until 1989 (1948-60). The abandoned were then transported by the Hulu Sai or Taleban tin-mining and plantation when CPM laid down their villages are now collectively boats downriver through the rivers were also rich in In the 19th century, there activities and remained weapons and only then did known as Belum Lama. The Pattani river at Betong. alluvial gold (and later tin was some conflict over the that way until the Second it become less restricted. villagers come back to their especially in Keroh). In fact, Upper Perak area (which World War. As an extension Security was not fully lifted old village once a year to Among the goods collected traces of old gold mines includes Keroh and Belum) of the Sino-Japanese War in Royal Belum and parts visit the graves. Old paddy from the peninsula were still exist within this part of between the Perak and 1931, the Malayan Peoples of it are still a military field, fruit orchards, coffee also forest products like the peninsula in the interior the Pattani Chiefs until the Anti-Japanese Army, the security area as it borders plantation can still be seen armed wing of Chin Peng’s with Thailand. There were in the area today. 09 10 Conservation History Early 20th Century The earliest recorded study is by H.N. Ridley, who did some plant collections here in the early 20th century, while Hubback, the Game Warden, did surveys on gaur and rhinoceros for the Wildlife Commission of Malaya in 1932 and 1937. Metcalfe (1961), Hislop (1961), contributed to the Royal 1994 1998 2008 Belum through their studies on rhinos. Wildlife Inventory in Temengor Second Belum Expedition Wildlife Inventory in Royal and Belum (Banding) in Belum (Banding) Forest Belum led by DWNP. 1968 Forest Reserves led by the Reserve led by MNS. As part of the Colombo Plan Study, Stevens (1968) Department of Wildlife and 2010 - 2011 mooted the idea that this part of Perak (220,000 hectares, National Parks (DWNP). 2001 Survey on tiger density and comprising Belum, Gerik and Temengor) be turned into a Wildlife Inventory in Royal prey occupancy in Royal wildlife reserve, and the idea was discussed by the State 1996 Belum led by DWNP. Belum led by WWF-Malaysia. Government, but on a reduced area of 54,000 hectares. The National Ecotourism The proposal was shelved due to the construction of the Study (1996), identified the 2003 Social survey of Orang Asli Temengor Dam, though it was picked up by the Federal area to have eco-tourism Third Belum Expedition in communities in Royal Belum Government. potential. Belum (Banding) Forest led by WWF-Malaysia (2010) Reserve led by FDPM, Perak and by University Malaya (2011). 1976-1980 1997 State Forestry Department. Under the 3rd Malaysia Plan, a 215,000 hectares Belum Park Forest Inventory in Temengor, 2015 was proposed. Due to the security threat by the CPM then the Gerik and Belum (Banding) 2007 The 4th Royal Belum proposal was shelved until 1993-1994.