KLANG, Nov 5 — Selangor aims to have the Gombak-Hulu Langat Geopark recognised as a United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) World Heritage Site within three years, as part of efforts to strengthen the state’s ecotourism and geotourism sector.
State executive councillor for local government and tourism Dato’ Ng Suee Lim said the area has retained its natural landscape and has distinctive features that meet the international body’s criteria.
“We already meet the requirements, but we need to understand the proper methods and processes, including engaging historians and geologists to demonstrate that the geopark has the necessary merits for Unesco recognition.
“Our target for this recognition is within three years, although achieving it earlier would be even better. The menteri besar will announce the related strategy and preparations in the (state) budget,” he said.
Ng was speaking to the press after officiating the graduation ceremony for Selangor Local Community Hosts from the Sabak Bernam and Kuala Selangor districts yesterday.
Last year, Sultan of Selangor Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah Alhaj declared the site the state’s first national geopark during the Gua Damai Carnival, making it Malaysia’s seventh such site.
Covering 112,955ha across the Gombak and Hulu Langat districts, the geopark features 31 geosites, 20 of which have been recognised as ecotourism and geotourism sites due to their unique geological formations and natural landscapes.
Malaysia currently has six Unesco World Heritage Sites recognised for their natural and historical value, including the Forest Research Institute Malaysia-Forest Park Selangor (FRIM-FPS).
FRIM was officially inscribed as a World Heritage Site during the Unesco World Heritage Committee meeting in Paris, France, in July, chaired by Bulgaria's Prof Nikolay Nenov.
The site represents a tropical forest rehabilitation area developed on a former tin mining site, which now serves as a vital global reference for ecosystem restoration.
The other five Unesco World Heritage Sites in Malaysia are Kinabalu Park in Sabah (recognised in 2000), Gunung Mulu National Park in Sarawak (2000), Historic Cities of the Straits of Malacca: Melaka and George Town in Penang (2008), Archaeological Heritage of the Lenggong Valley in Perak (2012), and the Archaeological Heritage of the Niah National Park Caves Complex in Sarawak (2024).
