Kedah Menteri Besar Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor has distanced the state government from an idea floated by a deputy minister about turning Langkawi into a niche holiday destination for Muslims.
Sanusi said the state is not entertaining such an idea.
“Langkawi is Kedah’s... so it’s up to Kedah what we want to do with the island. We have never said we wanted to be a Muslim tourist destination.
“Anyone can come (to Langkawi),” he was quoted as saying by Sinar Harian last night.
He added that keeping Langkawi open was important as it generated billions in tourism revenue for the country.
“So we have to maintain that prestige. Don’t just limit it to Muslims. We are open to tourists from anywhere,” he said.
Sanusi was responding to Deputy Tourism, Arts, and Culture Minister Khairul Firdaus Akbar Khan, who suggested in the Dewan Rakyat that Langkawi could be positioned as a Muslim-family-friendly destination.
Loss of global appeal
This was after Seputeh MP Teresa Kok asked Firdaus to comment on states imposing restrictive policies on alcohol consumption and dress codes on tourists.
Sanusi had last year denied that non-Muslims were not allowed to wear shorts or consume alcohol at Langkawi.
In a statement today, DAP chairperson Lim Guan Eng also demanded that Firdaus backtrack his remarks on Langkawi as it could be harmful to tourism.
“Khairul’s intention to rebrand Langkawi as a preferred Muslim destination would result in the rapid loss of its international appeal.
“Many in the travel trade, both Muslim and non-Muslims including duty-free shops, are now concerned that they will lose out on the lucrative non-Muslim tourist market following Khairul’s announcement,” he said. - Mkini
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