Langkawi And Penang A Comparison Of Two Malaysian Tourism Islands

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LANGKAWI and Penang are both located on the northwestern part of the Malaysian peninsula and lapped by the warm waters of the world-renowned Straits of Melaka. In terms of size, they are smaller than Banggi Island (441sq km) in Sabah and Bruit Island (418sq km) in Sarawak.
The main Langkawi island is 320 sq km and combining 98 islands around it, the size ballooned to 478.5sq km, whereas Penang Island is only 295sq km.
The distance by ferry from Kuala Perlis to Kuah in Langkawi is 33km, and from Kuala Kedah is 56km and takes around two hours.
Meanwhile, the distance by ferry from Butterworth on the peninsula to Georgetown in Penang Island is only 3km. Moreover, two bridges connect the island to the mainland, with the first being 13.5km long, and the second is 24km but takes only 20 minutes to cross.
The histories of the two islands could not be more different. In 1786, Captain Francis Light persuaded the Sultan of Kedah to cede Penang island to the British East India Company in exchange for military protection from the menacing Siamese and Burmese kingdoms.
Penang was the first British trading post in the Far East and Light established it as a free port, allowing merchants to trade without paying any form of tax or duties. As a result, it grew rapidly in the number of incoming vessels and also migrants that came to settle on the island.

In addition to sizeable Chinese, Malay, Indian, Siamese, Peranakan and Eurasian communities, there were also a significant number of Burmese, Javanese, Sinhalese, Japanese, British, German, Jewish and Armenians. Meanwhile, Langkawi remained in the backwaters.
Indeed, Langkawi was under a curse for many generations until Tunku Abdul Rahman was posted there as the district officer in 1936. He learned about the tragic account of Mahsuri, a beautiful maiden who was unjustly sentenced to a most excruciating death.
Captivated by the curse Mahsuri placed on Langkawi before she died, Tunku initiated a search for her grave and was saddened to find it in a neglected state. He then planned for a modest tomb to be constructed using white marble covering and an inscribed headstone.
As soon as the tomb was completed, Tunku declared that the period of Mahsuri’s curse had expired and it was time for Langkawi to progress and develop. The Hainanese contractor refused payment, saying that he willingly and proudly did it to honour Mahsuri’s memory.
The fortunes of the two people most instrumental in constructing Mahsuri’s tomb began to change for the better. Contractor Phor Sing Teong won a huge contract on mainland Kedah and went on to become one of the richest and most successful businessmen in Alor Setar.
Tunku would later lead UMNO into an electoral pact with MCA and MIC under the Alliance Party and won a landslide victory in the 1955 general elections and became the chief minister of Malaya, and then the prime minister (PM) after securing independence from the British in 1957.
Langkawi continued to develop under the second PM Tun Abdul Razak, third PM Tun Hussein Onn, and fourth PM Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, fifth PM Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, sixth PM Datuk Seri Najib Razak, and seventh PM Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad for a second term.
The eighth PM assumed office in early 2020 shortly before the Movement Control Order was introduced to curb the spread of COVID-19, which would later wreck economies and livelihoods globally, particularly in destinations that relied heavily on tourism, including Langkawi.
In the November 2022 general elections, almost all the voters in Langkawi rejected the incumbent MP Dr Mahathir, who won only 6.8% of the votes, way below the 12.5% threshold required to keep his deposit.
Ever since international travel restrictions were lifted in April 2022 and COVID-19 conditions eased the following month, most tourist destinations have made gradual and steady recoveries and are approaching or surpassing 2019 levels.
But Langkawi appears to be lagging behind.
It cannot possibly be Mahsuri’s curse, which is history. It is more likely due to the people and government of the day. Lest we forget, natural sites alone and being duty-free are not enough to attract hordes of tourists if travelling time is longer and costs are higher.
(Image: Kedah Tourism)Langkawi can easily be more successful if it takes a leaf from Penang but this will not happen as long as the islanders have an insular mindset. Sadly, many Malaysians have not learned from history that both Melaka and Penang grew rapidly centuries ago by embracing diversity.
Instead, Langkawi had been in the news for the wrong reasons by requiring visitors to comply and conform to local norms, which are not requirements in many tourist destinations. As there is no shortage of better options, many would rather visit Penang or go to South Thailand.
What is scarce in Langkawi, Penang have them by the bucket-loads, such as charming old shophouses, religious and cultural buildings, delicious and famous dishes including street foods that are affordable and not overpriced, entertainment, and a wide variety of accommodations.
Penang has emerged as a top destination for both local and international tourists during the recent Chinese New Year holidays, which coincided with the school holidays. More than 2.4 million vehicles entered the state and more would have arrived if the hotels were not full.
YS Chan is master trainer for Mesra Malaysia and Travel and Tours Enhancement Course and an Asean Tourism Master Trainer. He is also a tourism and transport business consultant.
The views expressed are solely of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of  MMKtT.
- Focus Malaysia.

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