Since 1991, the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition (Lima) has been held on the island biennially.
The aerospace exhibition is held at the Mahsuri International Exhibition Centre, adjacent to the terminal at Langkawi International Airport.
The venue for the maritime exhibition is at Resort Worlds Langkawi, located at the southern tip of the main island.
It is one of the largest maritime and aerospace exhibitions in the Asia Pacific. This year, the event will be held from March 21-25 and is expected to draw over 40,000 trade visitors and more than 140,000 public visitors.
The route from the airport to Resorts World passes by the rustic charm of Jalan Kuala Muda, the bustling Jalan Pantai Chenang and a jungle towards the end of Jalan Teluk Baru before reaching Awana Pier.
However, the large number of tourists due to arrive in the island for Lima may inadvertently expose the ugly side of the duty-free island.
Langkawi Development Authority chief executive officer Azizan Noordin had been reported as being concerned and warned that potential tourists would shy away if prices were increased exorbitantly.
Langkawi Tourism Association chairman Zainudin Kadir suggested that a website be created to help tourists get information on service and accommodation rates on the island so that unethical practices and profiteering can be curbed.
However, a more effective measure is to develop a state-of-the-art mobile app for “Destination Langkawi”, which is easily accessible 24/7 from anywhere in the world.
Increasing numbers of people are using their smartphones for information, bookings, payments and navigation upon arrival, which makes it unnecessary for costly printed brochures and foldable maps.
Beautification project
But those attending this year’s Lima will be bogged down when travelling between the two main venues by passing through Jalan Pantai Chenang.
The area’s beautification project was supposed to have been completed last June but it was turned into an ugly, dirty and dusty sight, with many stretches of the road and sidewalks dug up, turning it into an obstacle course and exposing pedestrians to passing traffic.
The contractor for the RM47 million Pantai Chenang Waterfront project was given extensions several times but the State Economic Planning Division (BPEN) seemed afraid to act for fear of being dragged into a legal tussle.
If that is the case, there must be something glaringly wrong with the contract’s conditions drawn up by BPEN. Or is there something more than meets the eye?
When I was in Langkawi last October for a three-week tourism training programme together with participants from eight Asean countries, I had pointed out the state of disrepair along Jalan Pantai Chenang.
Sadly, work is unlikely to finish by the end of February. The contractor has been told to stop work by then so that cleaning work can begin at the 2km stretch of Jalan Pantai Chenang in preparation for Lima.
The authorities in Langkawi and Kedah should also be held accountable for the mess, as they failed to get their act together.
CY Ming is an FMT reader.
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