31.3.2012 / Mark
The sad story of the factual closing
of the best beach of Langkawi:
Tanjung Rhu
by the Tanjung Rhu Resort
Letter to the Langkawi Gazette
I want to tell you about my adventures with Tanjung Rhu.
One day i came there 5.30 and i was not allowed to go on the beach.
After 5 your not permitted to go on the beach??
What about the nice sunset??
Other time I went with my daughter and children about two o’clock.
We went on the beach and I was shocked to see the fence.
We sad down and then this guard came and said we have to move.
We were sitting about 5 meter next to the fence and this guy said we can not because we need space when there is a emergency at the resort beach.
So they take the beach and turned it into a prison.
The third time I went also about 2 o’clock and I was not allowed to go to the beach.
Reason they say was ‘they do not want too much people on the beach’.
This guy(at the barrier) told me that this was the new policy.
He wants to give me a paper but I was so angry that I drove away.
I am shocked that this happens on the most beautiful beach of Langkawi.
I think this is very bad for the tourism.
A taxi driver told me to make a report of it, he also told me that they consider to boycot the resort by not bringing people any more.
What a pity that this must happen!
Maybe you can right an article about this?
You can right about my adventures if you want.
Yvonne
Dear Yvonne,
Thanks for this letter to the LG.
Yes, we know about the sad story regarding Tanjung Rhu – and we have the paper before us, which they distribute.
The paper and their actions seems to have one purpose only: to demonstrate their power and ownership of the land.
They most probably do that – because they are legally on shaking ground: Even though they seem to own the land, the road to the end of Tangung Rhu has been built with government money from what we were told – and everybody in Malaysia is believed to have legal access to the shore (a short distance above the high tide level or similar – but I couldn’t yet find the relevant law though. If anyone knows the text, please send it to us.)
So how can they close a government built road to the shore with – what seems like arbitrary explanations and actions?
I do not expect police to interfere – even though the Taxi Drivers are indeed not happy about the situation. But too much is at stake. There are immense plans to overbuild the whole of Tanjung Rhu (see here) and make a ‘Mini Dubai’ out of this part of the island – so taking over control of the beach is probably just a first step before the whole thing will be closed down for the public completely.
Some people try hard to ‘develop’ the ‘Tropical Island with Rainforest’ to a ‘Garden City with Parking Slots’. I hate to admit: they seem to be winning.
To the tourists I can only say: COME NOW – as long as there is still some genuine Langkawi left….
