RM20mil set aside to develop Pangkor as duty-free destination, Perak assembly told

Jalong assemblyman Loh Sze Yee giving his debate statements at state assembly meeting.

IPOH: More than RM20mil has been allocated to develop Pulau Pangkor as a duty-free island.

Perak tourism committee chairman Loh Sze Yee said the money had been allocated by several governmental agencies and departments, including the state Finance Department.

“In 2020, the Mentri Besar's Office allocated more than RM9mil for Pangkor’s development.

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"Two ministries, namely the Local Government Development Ministry and the Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry had also allocated RM2.9mil and RM237,500 respectively," he said in reply to Rosli Abd Rahman (PN-Pasir Panjang) during the state assembly sitting here on Wednesday (Dec 21).

“These allocations were used for various purposes including upgrading the Pangkor Gallery, development of the turtle village in Teluk Ketapang, renovation of the surau at the main jetty, and fixing the Sungai Pinang Kecil jetty."

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Loh said the latest ongoing projects in Pangkor are the construction of the Teluk Nipah commercial arena which costs about RM3.69mil and Teluk Baharu’s floating restaurant and arena square which cost about RM3mil.

He also said the state's main focus is to build a new jetty complex that will provide a more comfortable experience for visitors.

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“The jetty will be the ‘main door’ to Pangkor and will be equipped with several facilities including duty-free shops, covered rooftop parking spots, and a larger waiting area for visitors.

“The state is also focused on promoting tourism activities such as snorkelling, jungle trekking, bird feeding and camping,” he said, adding that more than 750,000 visitors came to the island between January and October.