LRT in Langkawi won't solve Langkawi tourism, says Umno man

Ahmad Mukhsein Mukhtar

ALOR STAR: Developing a Light Rapid Transit (LRT) system in Langkawi won't solve the island's tourism struggles, according to Kedah Umno information chief Datuk Shaiful Hazizy Zainol Abidin.

Shaiful said that Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor should have instead prioritised addressing the root causes and real issues in Langkawi, such as water shortages and the high cost of tourism.

"It's amusing. That's the only way to describe this 'dream'. That's Sanusi's problem, always dreaming so high, yet his actions don't align with his aspirations.

"If Sanusi is genuinely serious about tackling the tourism issue in Langkawi, he needs to address the root causes and real problems. Since when did tourists decline because there's no high-speed train? Tourists are dwindling because the cost of tourism there is high, ferry trips are decreasing, and fare costs are rising. Address these issues first.

"At the very least, solve the water issue in Langkawi first. Water is a basic necessity, surely we don't need to teach (him) that," he said in a statement today.

Shaiful also questioned the rationale behind embarking on such projects in Langkawi.

He argued that high-speed trains are more suited for densely populated long-distance routes, which Langkawi is not.

"Let's also consider the usage capacity. With an average of 3 million tourists annually, that's around 8,000 per day. Add in 100,000 residents, maybe 10,000 will use the train per day.

"Even if we combine residents and tourists, it won't exceed 20,000 per day. Why bother with a high-speed train with a capacity reaching hundreds of thousands of passengers per day?" he added.

He is certain that the project would falter.

"Where's the RM40 billion Widad Langkasuka project, the RM2.5 billion Kulim International Airport (KXP) investment, and the Sungai Petani racetrack? All abandoned, only to shift blame to the next administration. Just watch," he added.

Yesterday, the state-owned Permodalan Kedah Bhd (PKB) entered a pact with South Korea's Royal Eco Train Development (RETD) to study the development of a LRT system in Kedah's tourism jewel of Langkawi.

State Industry and Investment, Higher Education, Science, Technology and Innovation Committee chairman Dr Haim Hilman Abdullah was reported as saying that RTED would take between three and six months to study the project's technical, geography and economic impact on locals.

Under the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) inked between PKB, RETD and Qplex - the South Korean company's strategic partner in Malaysia - the study would also include the development of innovative stations designed within the principles of Transit-Oriented Development (TOD). 

https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2024/05/1045077/lrt-langkawi-wont-solve-islands-tourism-struggles-says-umno-man