Dr M weighs in on Langkawi’s future development
RELAXED access into Langkawi, a new port and a mountain resort are at the top of the list of pro- jects Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad would implement on the island if he were in charge of its development.
The former prime minister, who started his political career in Kedah, applauded the Government’s move to allocate RM420mil under Budget 2012 to launch the Langkawi Five Year Tourism Development Master Plan, and said he had ideas on how to spend the money.
“Langkawi gets about 2.6 million visitors every year, but it could attract more than that.
“I don’t know how it (the RM420mil) will be spent, but if they give the money to me, I will know how,” Dr Mahathir said, dra-wing laughter during his keynote address at the launching of Four Points by Sheraton Langkawi Resort in Langkawi.
When asked after the event about his development ideas, Dr Mahathir said more “relaxed” restrictions and procedures in terms of access to the island were important to draw tourists.
“Make it easy for people to come here. When you let people have easy access, then you get more tourists,” he said, adding that passengers on certain cruises were imposed with strict guidelines to come aboard the free port....
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