Founder: Quality green attractions a driving force for Penang

Visitors tackling the exciting water slides at ESCAPE Waterplay. Each of the three slides that ends in this pool is 300m long.

AFTER viewing ESCAPE Waterplay, the first water theme park in Penang, Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng issued a call to talented Penangites to return home and build their dreams.

“Penang is open for business. You can prosper and do well here,” he said in his speech from a rostrum at the edge of a 5m-deep diving pool.

Lim, who opened the theme park on Saturday, was referring to the park’s founder Sim Choo Kheng.

After leaving Penang in 1997, Sim returned in 2009 and turned a 17.8ha plot below the Teluk Bahang dam into an eco-friendly theme park.

“After being away for so many years, I wanted to come home and build something that gives me a reason to spend more time here.

“Building theme parks in more developed countries taught me and my team many things about the value of being environmentally friendly. We brought all that knowledge with us,” said Sim later.

Lim and Sim (blue shirt) taking part in the opening of the theme park in Teluk Bahang.

In his speech, Sim, whose business title is Chief Escape Officer, urged the audience to bear in mind that Penang’s tourism economy was now in the “premier league” and industry players should not stick to their “jaguh kampung” (village champ) mentality.

He said that with ESCAPE, Entopia, Tropical Spice Garden and three future hotels including a glamping (glamorous camping) site in Teluk Bahang, green tourism is the driving force of the northwestern corner of Penang island.

“We now have reasons to protect our trees, hills, rivers, sea and beaches.

“Our competitors such as Bali, Phuket and Hainan are innovating their tourism products so we need to revise our tourism mastervision,” he said.

Sim also pointed out that 70% of his employees were Teluk Bahang residents.

Imagine sliding down the long Banana Flip attraction right into the water.

“Many of our managers are neighbours. We are committed to improving the quality of life of this community and we are happy to see it happening,” he said.

Park entry tickets allow visitors to experience both Adventureplay and Waterplay.

The walk-in rate is RM136 for ‘big kids’ aged 13 to 60 and those who plan their visits ahead can buy advance tickets online for as low as RM68 with RM45 for ‘junior kids’ aged four to 12.

Admission is free for Malaysian senior citizens over 60 and any child below four.

For details, visit www.escape.my.