Malaysia's Pulau Tuba Gets Tanjung Pandan Corner As New Tourism Attraction

By Hamdan Ismail LANGKAWI (Kedah, Malaysia), Jan 5 (Bernama) -- Tanjung Pandan Corner, a seaside food court employing a concept akin to other famous beachfront in South East Asia has been set up in Pulau Tuba, an island with well-preserved nature near Langkawi island of Malaysia’s northern state Kedah. Located near an undisturbed white sandy shore of the island’s nearest landing point to Langkawi, the Tanjung Pandan Corner offers arrays of sumptuous dishes prepared by the Pulau Tuba folks, which gives added value to tourists coming to the island. Langkawi Development Authority (LADA) board member, Nor Saidi Nanyan who initiated the project said Tanjung Pandan Corner would complement tourist needs as it would be easier for them to get freshly prepared dishes while enjoying the serenity of the island. He said the set up of the stalls was similar to the concept employed in Bali, Indonesia or Phuket (Thailand) where for a start, five stalls had been erected to offer delicacies such as seafood, noodles, pasembur as well as beverages like fresh coconut and cendol. “Besides increasing the number of stalls as well as food choices, the public amenities here would also be improved for the convenience of the tourists,” he added. Nor Saidi noted the creation of the Tanjung Pandan Corner was an approach to get the people in Pulau Tuba to be more involved in tourism and reap benefits from the industry’s growth. “It serves no point if the number of tourists coming to Langkawi continues to grow year after year but the local people do not benefit from the growth,” he said. Apart from LADA, he said the Malaysian Handicraft Development Corporation (Kraftangan Malaysia) had also come up with a programme to guide Pulau Tuba folks to produce and market their handicraft products. “I would like to see other government agencies come forward to assist the people here (at Pulau Tuba) to participate actively in the tourism industry and make this island another attraction in Langkawi.” -- BERNAMA