The KM0 signboard at Telok Melano signifying the start of the Pan Borneo Highway. — Photos by ZULAZHAR SHEBLEE/The Star
TELOK Melano, once a remote fishing village accessible only by boat, now boasts the distinction of being KM0 of the Pan Borneo Highway.
Located on the western tip of Sarawak, the village has seen a socioeconomic boost since a road was built to nearby Sematan town.
The 33km Telok Melano-Sematan road was opened in January 2019 as the first stretch of the 2,154km-long Pan Borneo Highway.
Many villagers now operate market stalls along the beach in Telok Melano.
“Without a doubt, the impact of the road has been huge,” said local community leader Pemanca Ibrahim Suni.
Before it was built, villagers had to travel by boat across the South China Sea to Sematan. The journey could take one to three hours, depending on the boat engine’s size, tide and weather.
“There were many risks, including high waves. The South China Sea gets rough during the rainy season, so the villagers would be prevented from going out in their boats,” Ibrahim said.
The villagers of Telok Melano traditionally work as fishermen.
“Alhamdulillah, now with the road it is so easy for people to travel to Sematan and beyond.”
Ibrahim said the road had improved the villagers’ livelihood, besides making it easier for them to access government services.
He said many villagers who traditionally worked as fishermen and farmers, had now ventured into operating homestays and market stalls along the beach.
“Nearly every family in Telok Melano has a homestay. We get a lot of visitors, both local and foreign, coming here to see the natural beauty and wildlife.
“There are a lot of attractions in Telok Melano for tourists, including mountains, beautiful scenery and small islands,” he said.
Community leader Ibrahim (left) and villager Wasli.
Local fisherman Arnizan Abdul Hassan said the biggest change brought by the road was the increase in the villagers’ income.
“Now we can do business and sell our own products right here in the village,” he said.
Previously, it was more difficult for him to sell his fish as he had to travel by boat to Sematan.
“The fuel cost for one boat trip was over RM300. So if the catch was small, it was not worth it to go to Sematan,” he said.
Arnizan also said villagers were unable to travel out during the landas (monsoon) season, which usually lasts from the end of October to March, because of the rough sea.
He said the road has not only made it easy for the villagers to travel, but has brought visitors to Telok Melano.
“We get a lot of people during weekends and school holidays,” he said.
Villager Wasli Mos said he never thought there would be a road to Telok Melano.
“Before this, people either travelled by boat or walked six to eight hours to Sematan during the landas season.
“But now we get visitors coming here. People know about Telok Melano and the KM0 signboard has become an attraction,” he said.
Both Wasli and Ibrahim said the road was a legacy of Sarawak’s late chief minister Tan Sri Adenan Satem, who had championed the project.
The Pan Borneo Highway was originally planned from Sematan to Miri, but the Telok Melano package was approved upon Adenan’s request.
It takes just under half an hour to drive from Sematan to Telok Melano, which has scenic beaches and forested headlands.
“To me, the beaches at Telok Melano are the best in this part of Sarawak and the water is very clear,” Wasli said, adding that the nearby Tanjung Datu National Park was another attraction.
According to Ibrahim, Telok Melano’s ecotourism and agriculture potential should be properly developed to further boost the local economy.
He said there was land to plant rubber, pepper, vegetables and fruits like durian and rambutan.
“We would also like to upgrade the homestays to three- or five-star standard so that tourists will have no qualms staying here,” he said.
