Why Langkawi can’t become another Monaco

Attitudes have to change before it can become the eastern rival of the Mediterranean island.

COMMENT

What comes to mind when you hear Monaco mentioned? Some people are reminded of the late Grace Kelly, the American actress who married Prince Rainier of the Grimaldis, rulers of Monaco. Princess Grace was famous for her beauty.

Others think of the Formula One race, in which cars are driven along the narrow and winding roads of the tiny principality.

To a lot of people, Monaco is reminiscent of scenes of James Bond in a casino, gambling for high stakes against a weapons dealer while being eyed by a sultry woman, usually the antagonist.

Last week, Najib Abdul Razak told delegates at the Langkawi Tourism Awards 2015 ceremony that he wanted two tiers of tourism on the island, one to appeal to run-of-the-mill tourists and the other to their high rolling counterparts.

Before Langkawi can lay claim to the title of Monaco of the East, is Najib aware that in 2005, Singapore decided to embark on a quest to establish itself as worthy of the tag?

Najib’s vision for Langkawi incorporates the building of luxury hotels and the establishment of brand names, including Michelin-star restaurants.

Citing the relatively stable and peaceful political and social climate in Langkawi, he said the island was more attractive than similar tourist destinations around the world that were now suffering from the after effects of terrorist attacks.

Najib is probably setting up a challenge to see which country will become the Monaco of the East, but will his plan include the building of a casino on the island? It is doubtful that the conservative elements in country would agree to that.

Singapore probably has more in common with Monaco, and the two are learning from each other. For instance, Monaco’s expertise in the yachting industry and the setting up of marinas is being used by the Singaporeans to increase its yachting trade, and Monaco wishes to seek Singapore’s expertise in hosting business conventions and exhibitions.

Both Singapore and Monaco are small, but rich nations. Citizens are heavily policed and their activities rigidly monitored. Both places have made substantial efforts to reclaim land and are much cleaner than Langkawi.

Monaco is a tax haven and, like Singapre, attracts the super rich. The casinos in both Singapore and Monaco attract mass tourism. Millions of tourists visit the two countries, and many consider them to be welcoming destinations.

On the downside, many properties are out of reach of ordinary people. A substantial number of residents in both Monaco and Singapore moan that they live merely to serve the wealthy.

Some people claim that there is “more” culture in Monaco. Perhaps, this is a reflection of the failure of the Singapore authorities to build on the richness of the history and culture of the region.

Tourists are not enamoured with concrete buildings, and if Langkawi were to start building, would it become like Singapore or Penang or, worse still, the seedy beach resorts of Faliraki?

With uncontrolled development, would pollution – for example, of raw sewage allegedly being dumped into the sea close to the beach – turn the waters off Langkawi into cesspools, like around Penang and Burj-al-Arab?

Litter is a big problem in Langkawi. Malaysians think that it’s a problem that’s hard for the authorities to resolve. The islanders forget that it is also their responsibility. Will Langkawi have to start fining people, as in Singapore, to force them to change their attitude to littering?

Traffic and connectivity is another big problem on Langkawi. Public transport is scarce, making it difficult for tourists to travel around the island. Driving can be hazardous because buffaloes stray onto the roads at night. They can cause fatal crashes.

So, do Langkawi residents really want their island to become like Monaco?

More resorts, yachts and Michelin-star restaurants will not make Langkawi the Monaco of the East. Attitudes have to change first.

Mariam Mokhtar is an FMT columnist.