LANGKAWI, May 4 — Datuk Seri Najib Razak today announced 18 initiatives to spur Langkawi’s tourism sector in the next five years.
The caretaker prime minister said it was Barisan Nasional’s (BN) plan to turn Langkawi into an established international tourism destination.
He said there is a need to ensure that the tourism ecosystem in Langkawi encompasses all sectors in the industry, from hoteliers to small-medium enterprises, bazaars, homestays and taxi drivers.
“It is our agenda to bring changes and transformation to the people in Kedah, so they can choose who has a better agenda,” he said in his speech during a gathering with Langkawi tourism industry players at Mahsuri International Exhibition Centre.
The first initiative that he announced is the setting up of an Urban Transformation Centre (UTC) in Langkawi, which will house a one-stop centre for Langkawi residents to get better service from government departments there.
He then announced a RM100 million allocation to SME Bank for loans of between RM25,000 and RM250,000 for Langkawi motel, chalet and grocery shop operators with an interest rate of only 3 per cent.
A grant of RM5,000 will be allocated to 1,000 small traders from June 1, while grants of up to RM10,000 each will be given to 200 Bumiputera entrepreneurs.
“The Langkawi Tourism Academy will be strengthened with a RM12 million allocation, the existing hostel will be upgraded, and a new hostel will be built,” he said.
There are plans to create a trading hub in Pantai Cenang modelled after Chatuchak Market in Bangkok so as to spur the economy and business for locals, he added.
A RM200 million Langkawi Premium Outlet will be built on the island by the private sector, while medical tourism will also be a focus with plans for a private hospital.
“We can’t separate the community from tourism, so we will develop a Motocross circuit to prepare the youths in Langkawi with a new skill set,” he said.
There will also be several special Wi-Fi packages prepared by TM for Langkawi, he added.
Najib said there will be free Unifi Wi-Fi access until the end of June.
“Wi-Fi will be available in public places such as Pantai Cenang, Kompleks Jetty Point Kwah, Panorama Langkawi in Gunung Mat Cincang at only 10 sen an hour,” he said.
He said Wi-Fi will also be available at the Langkawi ferry terminal and Langkawi International Airport.
He said there is also a special JASA Unifi package for uniformed bodies and teachers in Langkawi at only RM59 per month for unlimited data, unlimited SMS and unlimited calls.
Najib also spoke on how the environment should be protected in Langkawi, and announced an allocation of RM9.1 million to clean up the surrounding islands and Kilim Geoforest Park.
The Langkawi International Airport will see an aerobridge expansion, and double its capacity from 1.5 million to three million passengers, and only taxis will be allowed to operate from the airport. There are plans to increase international direct flights to Langkawi.
China company, Tencent, and Tourism Malaysia will produce 40 promotional videos that will be aired to 980 million Chinese and 10 million Malaysians.
Also, Langkawi will see the creation of Tourism TV to promote the tourism industry with two-hour slots each day.
There will also be the legalising of unlicensed traders who have operated their business for more than three years, while tourism industry operators such as tour agency, tour guides and tourist boats will be exempted from paying licence fees for a year.
