SHAH ALAM, Dec 18 — Tourism Selangor plans to push the nomination of the Gombak-Hulu Langat Geopark over the next three years and strive to be the Unesco Global Geopark.
In an exclusive interview with Media Selangor, Tourism Selangor chief executive officer Chua Yee Ling thanked the state government for the special RM2 million allocation under the 2026 Selangor Budget to support the nomination of the Gombak-Hulu Langat Geopark, and highlighted that the federal government has given its full cooperation.
“We already set up dedicated team and task force to manage Gombak-Hulu Langat Geopark to coordinate the entire application,” she said.
Chua emphasised that although geoparks can still be developed in the process of applying for inclusion in the Unesco Global Geopark, all planning and construction must be based on sustainable development.
She pointed out that the geopark spans areas of jurisdiction under the Kajang Municipal Council (MPKj), Ampang Jaya Municipal Council (MPAJ), and Selayang Municipal Council (MPS), which allows Tourism Selangor to integrate resources and systematically promote tourism products related to the site.
“In preliminary discussions, the committee hopes to achieve the goal within three years. To this end, Tourism Selangor will identify three suitable candidates to focus on promoting relevant work, while each of the three city councils will appoint a person in charge to assist with the whole process. ”
The Gombak-Hulu Langat Geopark covers an area of 112,955ha with 31 geological sites in the area, 20 of which have been identified as important attractions with ecological and geological tourism value due to their unique geological structure and natural landscape.
Malaysia has six sites on the Unesco World Heritage List in recognition of their natural or historical value. One of them is the Forest Research Institute Malaysia-Forest Park Selangor (FRIM-FPS), which was inducted this year.
Situated on an abandoned tin mine, FRIM-FPS is a successfully restored tropical forest that has become an important global model for ecosystem restoration.
The remaining five World Heritage Sites are Kinabalu Park in Sabah (inscribed in 2000), Gunung Mulu National Park (2000), Melaka and George Town, Historic Cities of the Straits of Malacca (2008), Archaeological Heritage of the Lenggong Valley in Perak (2012), and the Archaeological Heritage of Niah National Park’s Caves Complex in Sarawak (2024).
Dedicated committee for application
State executive councillor for local government and tourism Dato’ Ng Suee Lim said the Selangor government will set up a committee to coordinate the three-year effort towards the nomination.
“With the official approval of the RM2 million allocation by the state government, it provides solid support for work towards the application,” he said.
Ng said the application process requires extensive integration of academic research and professional accreditation, as well as multiple exhibitions and international conferences, which involves significant work and complex procedures.
“The state government plans to fully invest in and implement relevant work between 2026 and 2028,” he added.
He pointed out that once the Gombak-Hulu Langat Geopark is successfully inscribed on the UNESCO Global Geopark, it will be a powerful catalyst for Selangor’s tourism industry, especially by attracting local and foreign geologists and nature lovers.
“The most unique feature of the Gombak-Hulu Langat Geopark is that it is located within Selangor’s urban area, the concrete jungle, which is completely different from most international geoparks located in remote areas, and it has an extremely rare and precious urban geological landscape,” said Ng.
In the 2026 Selangor Budget, the state government allocated RM2 million to conduct studies and works to accelerate efforts for the Gombak-Hulu Langat Geopark to gain recognition as a Unesco Global Geopark.
