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A RM200 million six-star resort will be built on Pulau Besar in the heart of the world-famous Belum forest. The resort, to be built on a 2,000ha site, will be developed by Belum Island Resorts Sdn Bhd, a subsidiary of the CRSC Group, into an eco-tourism attraction and island resort.

Located 200km from Ipoh, the project will be divided into four phases and it starts with construction of a RM60 million hotel covering an area of 400ha. The resort will be jointly built by Belum Island Resorts Sdn Bhd and resort operator, Aman Resorts.

Today, a memorandum of understanding was signed between CRSC Holdings Bhd's deputy chairman Datuk Lawrence Low and Aman Resorts's executive director Greg Sirois here. The ceremony was witnessed by Perak Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Tajol Rosli Ghazali and Belum Island Resorts Sdn Bhd chairman Datuk Mohd Yusoff Kassim.

Speaking to reporters later, Sirois said the company would be careful when developing the area to preserve the environment. "In the tourism industry, it is important that we only leave footprints behind and as such, our approach has to be different in order to preserve the natural surroundings," he said.

Sirois said the resort would limit the number of rooms to between 20 and 24. The rooms would be unique and blend in with the surroundings.

The Belum Valley houses 274 species of birds, including the Plain Pouched Hornbills, 14 globally threatened mammals including the Malayan tigers and tapirs, Sumatran rhinoceros, Asiatic elephants and white gibbons. It also boasts of having 23 species of fresh water fish and terrapins.