The abandoned SamaWorld site is located on a mountain slope between the Genting Highlands Resort and the Ion Delemen high-rise complex.
The second son of the Sultan of Selangor Tengku Sulaiman Shah was chairman of SamaWorld (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd and Lim Tuck Fatt was managing director.
[4] Later Kuala Lumpur International Sdn Bhd, a subsidiary of the Police Cooperative, invested in SamaWorld.
The Sama Holdings Group with foreign investors, consultants and contractors from the US, Australia, Taiwan, Japan, West Germany, France (Buoygues), and Canada planned to undertake the project.
The SamaWorld project comprised a Disney-like theme park, a hotel, residential and commercial developments, a health spa, a clubhouse, and a special events area with live shows (3,500-seat amphitheater/Entertainment Complex).
The project was announced in the New Straits Times with the phrase "A Small Step Taken By Us, A Giant Stride for Malaysians and the Nation.
"[13] Selangor State Development urged SamaWorld to carry out "aggressive publicity campaigns" internationally.
[17] The stockbroker TA Securities assessed that the SamaWorld Themepark would increase the development potential of Genting Highlands.
Chan said: "our project will change the world image of Genting Highlands from a gamblers resort to a place for the family."
The continents Asia, Europe, Africa, and America should have been represented by attractions and landmark-replicas of different countries[21] and the different areas connected via cable cars.
In 1986 was announced that Sequoia Creative, a company from Los Angeles founded by the former Walt Disney executives Dave Schweninger, Thomas Reidenbach and Robert Gurr would equip SamaWorld with animated attractions.
Planned was a total of 42 rides including a Von Roll Skyway over the rainforest, a Vekoma Mine Train, a Mack Log Flume, a Zierer Wave Swinger, a Fionda Boat Swing, a Dragon coaster, and a monorail.
A mostly US staffed management team trained 1400 locals to run the hotel, restaurants and underground interactive rides.
Taiwans Tung-Hai University planned a permanent management training chapter in the middle of SamaWorld.
Construction of the 850-room four-star hotel consisting of a three-level podium, a five-level car park, a 17-storey and eight storey tower had started.
Cygal (now Sycal) had a 70 % share of the hotel development[27] and is now constructing the Genting Sky City project on the site.
[29] In 1990 Giant Bay Resources acquired Techlines Corp Sdn Bhd, a bankrupt company that owned the land surrounding SamaWorld.
The NCT-Group purchased the abandoned Billion Court and developed it with the Ion Delemen high-rise complex.
SamaWorld conducted a study to find a solution and submitted a 70-page report on erosion mitigation measures which was approved.
[33] SamaWorld built 25 large siltation dams and introduced a better drainage system to prevent further pollution down hill.