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IF anyone wants to embarrass themselves after “selling the magic of the National Park” up in Kundasang to first time visitors to Sabah, here’s how you do it.

Take your guests to the Liwagu Restaurant at the Park Headquarters.

On Monday the 11th of May,  I was unfortunately made to feel very small when we (there were 6 of us) walked into the restaurant to have some hot beverages. 

It was 10.20 am when we got there after a long drive  up to the National Park. The waitress brought us their impressive looking menu. 

One of my guests ordered  hot chocolate and was met with a “Sorry madam, we are out of stock for hot chocolate”

There after we placed our orders for 3 Nescafé coffee tarikh and 3 Teh tarik. The waitress took our orders. After 5 minutes, we were told “Sorry, we don’t have milk today”. So to be sure of what we just heard, I said in Bahasa - “tiada susu?” Rather sheepishly, she confirmed “Tiada” Isn’t the kitchen aware that an important ingredient in a Coffee or Tea Tarik is the milk?  

To make matters worse, those beverages appear on the menu! How is it even remotely possible that you operate a fairly expensive outlet at which you pay an average of RM15 per cup of coffee or tea and you do not stock up on milk for your patrons or guest? 

Mind you, this was just a day before the Tengku Makota of Pahang was scheduled to arrive at the National Park for a climb up the mountain!

Don’t tell me if the TMP’s entourage went to the Restaurant for a hot cuppa you would to tell them “Sorry. Tiada stok susu!”

Let me ask the Management of Liwagu Restaurant one simple question - Your buffet Breakfast at RM66 per head ++ displayed cereals. How do your guest and patrons consume the cereals without any fresh milk? 

You can say 10 nice things about a visit to the National Park but the only thing that will be repeated often enough by my guests is the one bad “tiada susu” experience they had at the Liwagu Restaurant!

This isn’t the way to project the facilities at the National Park to tourists who may be there for the day only.  

Perhaps when promotional leaflets are produced for the National Park in future, we should put in bold letters – Please bring your own milk for your hot coffee, tea and hot chocolate!

Rupert Augustin

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