NEWS & UPDATES
Sarawak Energy To Hold Mountain Bike Jamboree 2016 At Batang Ai HEP
Registration now open for all mountain bikers in Sarawak
KUCHING, 4th JULY 2016, MONDAY: Sarawak Energy is organising its first ever state-level mountain bike jamboree to take place on August 14, 2016, in the vicinity of its Batang Ai Hydroelectric Dam, Sri Aman.
Themed "Riding into the Green", the event is held in conjunction with 30th anniversary of the Batang Ai Hydroelectric Plant and also Sarawak Energy’s effort to introduce more activities around the hydro dam area.
Batang Ai HEP was commissioned in 1985 and celebrated its 30th anniversary last year. The mountain bike jamboree is part of the on-going activity to mark the occasion. The collaboration is between Sarawak Energy and Lubok Antu District Office and supported by Sarawak Cycling Association.
Batang Ai dam site area is also chosen for the mountain bike jamboree because of its potential in tourism and recreational activities in line with the State’s focus on lakeside tourism. Sarawak Energy hopes the event will serve as a platform to showcase the regeneration of Batang Ai's flora and fauna after the commissioning of the Batang Ai HEP 30 years ago.
The jamboree will see mountain biking enthusiasts testing their skills and endurance amidst the greenery of the Batang Ai landscape. Run under semi-formal race rules whilst emphasising safety, the jamboree will be an opportunity for mountain bikers of various skill levels to appreciate Sarawak's natural beauty.
The highlight of the race is the 40KM mountain bike ride in the Men's Open category which will see participants riding through a special route starting off at the dam crest and onto the saddle dam, through challenging rugged terrain at a nearby plantation before finishing at Batang Ai HEP's operator's village. The trail is designed to give participants a scenic view of Batang Ai HEP and its surrounding scenery.
Mountain bikers throughout Sarawak are invited to participate and keep the event date in their calendar. The closing date for registration is on the 1st August 2016.
The race has four categories: Men's Open, Ladies' Open, Veteran 40 years and above and Sarawak Energy staff. Participants under 18 years of age will need parental/guardian consent.
A total of RM11, 500 in cash prizes has been set aside for the winners and a medal will be given away to everyone who finishes the race.
Further details on the registration is available through Facebook – Btg Ai MTB Jamboree, the secretariat is contactable via email at sarawakjamboree@gmail.com or phone: 082-248 566.
Batang Ai HEP marked the first milestone project in Sarawak Energy's renewable energy journey. It was the first largest civil engineering project that was undertaken in the state at that time and was pivotal in opening up Batang Ai for development, subsequently transforming the local landscape both physically and socio-economically.
For the conservation of the flora and fauna surrounding Batang Ai HEP, Sarawak Energy is currently collaborating with the Sarawak Forest Corporation and NGOs like WWF-Malaysia and Wildlife Conversation Society on the Heart of Borneo (HoB) initiative. Sarawak Energy's role is focused on promoting long term initiatives that contribute to the conservation and protection of biodiversity in these areas. In addition, Sarawak Energy also taking part in the conservation of the orang utan, which is totally protected in Sarawak and listed as a threatened species under the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
