State govt rules out expanding Taman Tumbina into zoo, plans new museum

BINTULU: The Sarawak government has decided against expanding Taman Tumbina here into a full-scale zoo.

Premier Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg said this is due to the high maintenance costs associated with such facilities.

“Not a zoo because the cost is quite high. Bintulu will be quite different. We (Sarawak government) are building a new museum,” he said.

He said this to reporters when met after the Sarawak Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s Renewable Energy Development: A Business Dialogue with Premier of Sarawak at Dinner World Restaurant here today (July 22).

Abang Johari also said more recreational green areas would be built at Jepak after the completion of the Jepak Bridge.

According to Sarawak Tourism Board’s (STB) website, Taman Tumbina Bintulu is an integration of a botanical and zoological garden.

The name Tumbina originates from the Malay words Tumbuhan which means plant and Binatang which means animal.

Officially opened in 1991, Tumbina provides a glimpse of the diverse flora and fauna of Borneo.

It is a living heritage with both recreational and educational values for visitors from all walks of life.

Spreading over a hilly and undulating terrain of 57 hectares, Tumbina is strategically situated on a breathtaking site overlooking the South China Sea, Bintulu town centre and the Tanjong Kidurong Industrial Estate.