Not feasible for Kedah govt to operate ferry, flight services to Langkawi
State Tourism, Culture, Arts and Entrepreneurship Committee chairman Datuk Mohd Salleh Saidin stressed the importance of learning from the Langkawi Development Authority's (Lada) past failure to sustain its ferry service to the island.
"There was a time when Lada operated a ferry service in the hope of enhancing the tourism sector and improving local connectivity. However, the initiative failed to achieve its intended objectives, as the ferries purchased were unable to operate optimally or consistently," he told the state assembly today.
Salleh added that a series of technical issues, along with weaknesses in maintenance and operational management, ultimately rendered the ferries unfit for regular use.
"As a result, the investment failed to deliver satisfactory returns for the agency and caused financial and reputational damage to Lada and its subsidiary," he said in response to a suggestion from Amar Pared Mahamud (PN–Kuah).
Salleh also said that operating flights from Alor Star to Langkawi was not commercially viable.
"It is worth noting that the relatively short distance — some 100km — makes the route less viable for flight services when compared with existing land and sea transport alternatives," he said, in response to a suggestion by Loh Wei Chai (PH–Bakar Arang).
However, Salleh expressed openness to further engagement with the Transport Ministry, Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad, and airline operators to conduct a feasibility study on the route.
"This could include exploring the potential for seasonal or chartered flights, particularly in conjunction with the Visit Kedah Year 2025 campaign for promotional purposes," he said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Star
a day ago
- The Star
Learn about Unesco's World Heritage Sites, including Mount Kinabalu, virtually
Google's new AI-guided Talking Tours lets you 'scale' Mount Kinabalu. — Kinabalu Unesco Global Geopark You can now immerse yourself in the beauty of Kinabalu Park in Sabah without even having to set foot there, thanks to Google Arts & Culture's Unesco World Heritage Site collection. The Kinabalu Park's inclusion into the collection was unveiled recently in commemoration of the park's 25th anniversary as a World Heritage Site this year. On the Google Arts & Culture page, you can learn all about Malaysia's tallest mountain – Mount Kinabalu – as well as the park's lush rainforests and its geography. The Kinabalu Park is not just a Unesco World Heritage Site, it is also a Unesco Global Geopark, while the Crocker Range Biosphere Reserve is part of the World Network of Biosphere Reserves. Take the virtual Talking Tour to visit all these places, as well as the park's vibrant botanical garden. Apart from the Kinabalu Park, Google's expansion also features other Unesco-listed sites including in countries like Germany, Brazil and China. So far, there are 3,454 sites featured in the collection. The Curonian Spit, a remarkable sand dune spit nestled between Lithuania and Russia, was designated as a World Heritage Site 25 years ago. This unique sandy landscape, measuring a length of 98km, was carved by the sea, wind, and human activity more than 5,000 years ago. Meanwhile, Rwanda's first Natural World Heritage Site is the Nyungwe Forest National Park in the Albertine Rift Ecoregion. The park, which spans over 101,900ha, houses the African continent's largest mountain forest and is part of the country's biggest peat bog, particularly the Kamiranzovu Marsh. Another equally important location is Macao, which was inscribed into the World Heritage Site list in 2005. Macao's architecture and landscape are largely influenced by the arrival of the Portuguese in the 16th century. Other World Heritage Sites featured include the Leon Cathedral (Nicaragua), Buzau Land (Romania), Lencois Maranhenses National Park (Brazil) and The Windsborn Crater Lake (Germany).
Malay Mail
a day ago
- Malay Mail
Deputy minister: Boeing aircraft deal won't push up national debt
KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 19 — The second phase purchase of Boeing aircraft valued at US$9.5 billion (US$1 = RM4.22) will not impact Malaysia's debt levels nor affect its fiscal deficit, said Deputy Finance Minister Lim Hui Ying. Lim said that the aircraft purchase is part of the plan outlined in the 13th Malaysia Plan (13MP). 'At present, everything is within our expectations,' Lim said during a question-and-answer session in the Dewan Rakyat today. She was responding to a supplementary question from Datuk Nik Muhammad Zawawi Salleh (PN-Pasir Puteh), who asked about the government's contingency measures to control the national debt burden after Malaysia committed to buying aircraft from the United States (US. In response to Nik Muhammad's initial question about the government's justification for allowing the national debt to remain high amid geopolitical uncertainties, Lim stated that the increase in government debt is due to the need to finance the fiscal deficit to cover development expenditures (DE). 'This financing will directly increase the government's debt level as long as the government's financial position remains in deficit,' she elaborated. Lim also clarified that the government does not rely solely on debt to finance DE, which is also funded by various other sources such as tax revenue and non-tax income. 'To date, the government has never borrowed beyond the statutory limits allowed under the relevant federal government debt laws. As of the end of June 2025, Malaysia Government Securities, Government Investment Issues, and Malaysian Islamic Treasury Bills stand at 62.7 per cent, which does not exceed the 65 per cent Gross Domestic Product (GDP) limit set under Act 637 and Act 275,' she said. Lim added that offshore borrowings amounted to RM22.8 billion and remained below the RM35 billion limit set under Act 403, while Malaysian Treasury Bills totalling RM2 billion are within the RM10 billion limit set under Act 188. — Bernama
Focus Malaysia
2 days ago
- Focus Malaysia
Will a million international tourists visit Kelantan this year?
A BERNAMA report recently stated that Kelantan is targeting the arrival of one million international tourists this year, compared with only 595,000 in 2024, with a special focus on the Chinese and Japanese markets. State Tourism, Culture, Arts and Heritage Committee chairman Datuk Kamaruddin Md Nor said: 'If last year we managed to attract over 595,000 foreign tourists, bringing the overall total to 11.1 million, this time we want to draw even more international visitors to Kelantan.' He was speaking at the 'Mmukat' Beach Festival in Pantai Impian Kemasin, which is an initiative to promote Bachok as a tourism town by turning traditional fishermens' activities into experiential tourism products. He said that while the state may not be rich in natural resources, it has natural beauty, beaches, and culture that offer a unique attraction, adding that the state's strong performance last year, exceeding its 10-million tourist target with 10.5 million arrivals. I have been to Kelantan only once, and that was 46 years ago. When I learned that my colleague will be driving a foreign outbound tour operator (commonly referred to as a travel agent) from Kuala Lumpur to Kota Bharu, I decided to accompany them. I remember the operator (who plan and organise outbound tours from his country) was not impressed with Kelantan, and least of all the hyped-up Beach of Passionate Love (Pantai Cinta Berahi), which was later renamed Pantai Cahaya Bulan (Moonlight Beach) in 1990. Norman Vincent Peale (1898-1993) said, 'Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you'll land among the stars'. He meant to aim high, and even if you fall short, will still result in a significant outcome. It was inspiring when I first read it more than half a century ago, but no longer. Instead, we ought to be more pragmatic. If targets and challenges are unclear, they will be missed by more than a mile, and exposed when communicating to various stakeholders and the public. For example, there was no distinction made between tourists and visitors. Visitors that stay overnight are tourists, whereas all visitors include both tourists and excursionists who are day-trippers that do not stay overnight at destinations they visit. If there were almost 600,000 tourists to Kelantan last year, where did they stay? If the majority was from South Thailand, many could have stayed with relatives and friends or in private residences booked online. But the majority would have stayed at budget or tourist-class hotels. If so, hoteliers in Kelantan must have been grinning from ear to ear last year. If a million were to arrive this year, the limited number of hotels in Kelantan would be unable to cope with the huge influx of tourists to the state. If so, there would have been a mad rush to build new accommodation or convert existing buildings into hotels or residences for tourists. But the reality on the ground is quite different. In any case, the most accurate indicator is using average hotel occupancy rate multiplied by number of rooms available to derive total number of occupied room nights. Without such data, figures on tourist numbers are plucked from the sky. The number of domestic visitors also needs scrutiny. Visitors to the state can be intrastate or interstate. The former are those who travel from one district to another within the same state, and the latter from other states, but mostly across the border from Terengganu, Pahang and Perak. In any case, it is impossible to identify and count the total number of domestic visitors. Sample surveys produce estimates that will vary greatly according to agenda. Again, the best indicator would be hotel rooms occupied by domestic tourists, regardless of which state they come from. Touting impressive arrival figures is nothing more than a syiok sendiri exercise. The most effective way to develop tourism in any town, city or state is to approach visitors and record their feedback, with the aim of offering them more of the positive and cutting down on the negative. ‒ Aug 18, 2025 YS Chan is master trainer for Mesra Malaysia and Travel and Tours Enhancement Course and an Asean Tourism Master Trainer. He is also a tourism and transport business consultant. The views expressed are solely of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Focus Malaysia. Main image: The Star
