‘A DUTY-FREE PANGKOR WILL BOOST ECONOMY’
Residents hope Perak govt will make ‘quiet’ island a bustling centre
IF Pangkor is declared a duty-free island, it will boost economic growth besides spurring development and breathing new life into the resort island, which has a population of 25,000 people.
Following the collapse of the Barisan Nasional Perak government and change in the Federal Government after the 14th General Election, all hope on transforming the island, inhabited mostly by people dependent on sea produce, has dimmed.
However, locals hope the new Perak government under Menteri Besar Ahmad Faizal Azumu will continue to rebrand the island, as well as commit to safeguarding their welfare.
Pasir Bogak resort operator Asmadi Teh, 55, from Kampung Teluk Gedung here, said Pangkor needed a change to ensure that it continued to be the choice destination for tourists.
He said it was necessary to upgrade the island’s infrastructure and facilities.
“Normally, the island would be bustling with tourists, especially during the school holidays and weekends. However, the situation is different now. It’s rather ‘quiet’.
“We hope Pangkor will be given duty-free status, thereby redefining the tourism sector, as well as socio-economic activities, to be on par with other duty-free islands, such as Langkawi,” he said recently.
The announcement of Pangkor’s dutyfree status was made at the tabling of the 2018 Budget in October.
Trader Chan Eng Hoo, 48, from Kampung Sungai Pinang, said the state government should intensify efforts to promote tourism in Pangkor because in recent years, many traders had started complaining that their business revenue had declined due to fewer tourist arrivals.
“This is due to several factors, including people who are cautious about their spending, given that the economic situation is uncertain even though the Goods and Services Tax has been zero-rated,” said Chan, who has been operating a marine products business for 18 years.
Tourists Abd Karim Wahidun, 29, from Klang, and R. Darmindren, 33, from Batu Caves, Selangor, said if Pangkor were to become a duty-free zone, it would thrive as a tourist destination because the island was synonymous with “budget travel”.