GEORGE TOWN: Penangites can’t wait to set foot on the newly opened Gurney Bay built on reclaimed land.
Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH) national vice-president Datuk Khoo Boo Lim said the latest addition looks good and is sure to be a hit with locals and likely with foreign tourists as well.
“When the place becomes greener, it will be a top international draw. But the state government must provide enough parking space for tour buses.
“I took a drive past and the road was teeming with cars. The congestion is bad,” he said when contacted.
MAH Penang chairman Datuk Tony Goh said Gurney Bay will be ideal for families based on its facilities.
College student Ronan Ooi, 22, said he is looking forward to trying out the skateboarding park with his friends and taking evening strolls with his friends.
“I was told by some friends who have visited the place that it is great to take pictures. I will make a trip there soon,” he added.
Retiree HS Lim, 67, remembers seeing horses from the Penang Turf Club being brought to the Gurney Drive coast by the trainers to swim as a form of exercise years ago.
“In the late afternoon, hawkers would start setting up stalls along the promenade. I dare say Gurney Drive was the original place which made Penang famous for its hawker cuisine,” he said.
Lim said the stretch of Gurney Drive from Jalan Birch towards Jalan Sultan Ahmad Shah used to very shady with Casuarina trees.
“Even though I lived in Paya Terubong which was quite a distance away, my parents would take me and my siblings there by public bus to dig for clams and swim in the sea.
“The sea was quite clean then but years before the reclamation started, it became so polluted that all the clams died.
“I’m quite happy to see Gurney Drive being given a new lease of life,” he said as he recalled his childhood memories.
Tour guide Kenny Ng, 67, said his company will certainly check out Gurney Bay.
“The place has to have good hawker food as that is what tourists come for. But for me when I conduct private tours, I will definitely bring my customers over,” he added.
Retired teacher Mohd Aidil Ikhwan, 55, who grew up in Tanjung Tokong, said he used to pass through Gurney Drive daily when his mother drove him and his three sisters to their schools in the 1980s.
“I remember seeing eagles swooping into the sea to catch fish, as we enjoyed the sea breeze in our Morris Minor with the windows open,” he added.
When the Gurney Bay project was first mooted as the Gurney Wharf in 2016, it drew mixed reactions from Penangites.
While most said it would make an ideal recreation ground for local, sceptics felt that the reclamation could be detrimental to the environment and coastline.
A public survey was carried out between Feb 23 and March 16, 2016, with more than 80% of the 832 individuals and five organisations voicing support for the project.
A total of 356 respondents provided suggestions which were taken into consideration.
