Forest reserve reopens, nature lovers rejoice

OUTDOOR enthusiasts are happy to be back at the reopened Cherok To’kun Forest Reserve in Bukit Mertajam.

They can now enjoy hiking, jogging and cycling up the hill.

The popular green haven on mainland Penang was closed for about two years due to slope rectification works from the foothill right up to the hilltop.

Retiree Wong Chee Yew, 52, who was with his two friends at the site, used to hike there twice a week before the closure.

“I am glad to continue doing what I love most,” he said.

V. Thiagarajan, 34, human resource head of a US-based company in Batu Kawan, learnt online about the park’s reopening.

“Before the closure, I often came here during the weekend to hike. It is my way of reducing stress from work and also to keep fit,” he said.

T. Sumathi, 62, a retired civil servant from Lunas, Kedah, hikes at the park daily.

She said she had hiked at many other places such as Bukit Kiara and Bukit Gasing in the Klang Valley, but Cherok To’kun is still her preferred choice.

“The trails here are challenging but still manageable.

“I started coming here when my son was six years old. He is 28 now,” she said.

Hikers using the cemented trails. — Photos: CHAN BOON KAI/The Star

Self-employed Fendi Ridzuan, 41, and technician Firdaus Ridzuan, 33, were seen playing with their 4X4 radio control (RC) cars at the park.

The brothers from Permatang Pauh said their last visit was in 2021, some two months before the park was closed.

Fendi said that it was his fourth visit to the park.

“This place is nice but there is just not enough parking bays,” he said.

The reopening of the park, located 380m above sea level, also drew mountain bikers.

Factory supervisor Zulkifli Hashim, 47, operation Unit manager Hisham Samsudin, 45, and technician Muhammad Ezer Shar, 39, were among those spotted at the park.

The three said they had been cycling, hiking and running at the Cherok To’kun hill for the last 10 years.

They were happy that the trails were now cemented. Previously, the paths were only tarred and there were several potholes that the trio said put their safety at risk.

Machang Bubok assemblyman Lee Khai Loon, when contacted, said many nature lovers had been waiting for the park to be given a facelift.

“The reopening is good news for the community.

“The park is not only visited by people from Bukit Mertajam but also those from Butterworth and southern Kedah for hiking, cycling and jogging.

“I thank the Penang government and the Federal Government, especially the Public Works Department, for completing the project,” said Lee.

The park was off-limits to the public from January 2022. It reopened on Feb 2 this year.

It was earlier reported that 66 landslides were detected along the tarmac trail following devastating storms in November 2017 and May 2018.

Tree trunks fell on the cliffs while exposed soil and rocks could be seen in various sections of the broken tarred road.

In November 2020, the Energy and Natural Resources Ministry approved a RM15mil allocation for slope rectification and stabilisation works under the 12th Malaysia Plan.