LANGKAWI: Langkawi has once again found itself at the centre of a political polemic following claims by Seputeh MP Teresa Kok that the island is falling behind regional tourism giants Bali and Phuket due to poor policies under Kedah’s Pas-led Perikatan Nasional administration.
However, tourism industry players and stakeholders argued that comparisons between Langkawi and the two destinations were overly simplistic and failed to account for their vastly different tourism models, development histories and market positioning.
The latest debate erupted after Kok criticised Langkawi’s tourism performance and suggested the island was losing out to neighbouring destinations despite its natural advantages.
Her remarks prompted a strong response from Kedah Tourism, Heritage and Entrepreneur Development Committee chairman Datuk Mohd Salleh Saidin, who argued that tourism development policies involving Langkawi largely fell under the Federal Government’s jurisdiction, particularly matters involving air connectivity, ferry operations, duty-free policies and infrastructure.
Salleh also pointed to longstanding ferry service issues and limited flight connectivity, stressing that both sectors were regulated by Putrajaya.
The political exchange revived earlier tensions after Kok previously proposed that Langkawi be turned into a Federal Territory, sparking furious pushback from Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor and Kedah leaders.
Yet tourism experts said the latest debate should not merely be reduced to political rhetoric.
Inbound tourism expert and Your Inbound Matters founder Uzaidi Udanis said it was fundamentally unfair to compare Langkawi directly with Bali or Phuket as each destination served different tourism segments and possessed distinct identities.
“It is wrong to compare Langkawi with Bali because, from my observations, many hotels – especially five-star hotels – are still operating in Langkawi. They are not closing down,” he said.
“You must compare apple to apple, not with other fruits. Every destination has its own strengths and uniqueness.”
Uzaidi said Langkawi was never designed to emulate Bali or Phuket’s mass tourism ecosystem, which relied heavily on high-density tourism, entertainment-driven economies and aggressive international tourism expansion over several decades.
Instead, he argued that Langkawi’s positioning was closer to destinations such as the Maldives, particularly in areas involving family-oriented holidays, romantic tourism, Muslim-friendly facilities and environmentally driven tourism experiences.
“Even if we want to compare ourselves with somewhere, perhaps the Maldives is a closer comparison because Langkawi has romantic island qualities, Muslim-friendly facilities and family-oriented tourism,” he said.
He said tourism today was no longer merely about attracting large numbers of visitors, but about creating experiences and sustainable economic circulation within local communities.
“Tourists no longer travel just to see beaches. They want meaningful experiences,” he said.
“For example, people travelling to Bali do not only go there for the beach. They go for the culture, the atmosphere, the spirituality and the overall experience.”
Uzaidi warned that blindly chasing mass tourism figures similar to Bali or Phuket could create long-term social and environmental pressures, including overcrowding, waste management problems and strain on public infrastructure.
He pointed to growing overtourism concerns in destinations such as Phuket and Hat Yai, where rapid tourism expansion had increasingly pressured local communities and environmental sustainability.
“We must be careful because tourism development must remain sustainable and protect local culture and the environment,” he said.
According to Uzaidi, Langkawi’s future development should align with the United Nations’ sustainable tourism pillars, namely environmental protection, cultural preservation and ensuring local communities directly benefit from tourism activities.
“That should be the foundation of our tourism development,” he said.
Langkawi’s tourism development has historically been coordinated by the Langkawi Development Authority (LADA), a Federal Government agency established in 1990 to oversee the island’s socio-economic and tourism growth.
LADA’s responsibilities include tourism planning, infrastructure coordination, investment promotion, environmental sustainability and enhancing Langkawi’s status as an international tourism destination.
The island was declared duty-free in 1987 before being accorded geopark status by Unesco in 2007, strengthening its positioning as a nature and eco-tourism destination.
Langkawi Business Association adviser Datuk Alexander Isaac also questioned repeated comparisons involving Bali, Phuket and even Hat Yai.
“It is surprising that we are still being compared to Bali and Phuket and sometimes even Hat Yai. Just by checking the facts, you will see the vast differences in population figures and hotel rooms,” he said.
Alexander said it was misleading to place full responsibility on the Kedah government for tourism-related challenges when many issues affecting Langkawi involved federal jurisdiction, particularly connectivity and transport infrastructure.
“The Federal Government should not base infrastructure budgets and facilities on local populations. For example, Langkawi has a population of 90,000 but receives more than 3.2 million visitors. Facilities budgets should take these figures into account too,” he said.
“With all our challenges such as siltation at Kuala Kedah and Kuala Perlis jetties for our ferries, and the lack of flights, we still managed to achieve our targets in normal times,” he added.
He also noted that Langkawi continued attracting investments into the hospitality sector despite recent controversies.
A Bernama report in February stated that Langkawi was expected to add nearly 2,000 new luxury hotel rooms within two years, representing an 85 per cent increase in its existing five-star room inventory.
Six new high-end properties involving international brands such as Hilton and Marriott International are currently under construction.
The report quoted LADA tourism manager Muzaffar Zoher as saying Langkawi currently has about 20,000 hotel rooms across all categories.
Meanwhile, Langkawi Chinese Chamber of Commerce chairman Lee Han Eng supported Sultan of Kedah Al Aminul Karim Sultan Sallehuddin Sultan Badlishah’s recent call for the Federal Government to restore Langkawi’s full duty-free island status.
While opening the Kedah state assembly sitting in April, the Sultan also urged Putrajaya to improve ferry services to the island.
Lee said Langkawi’s retail sector had been negatively impacted after several goods lost their duty-free status.
“Now only chocolates are left without tax, while batik cloth can only be brought out in limited quantities,” he said.
“If many items remained duty-free like before, visitors would spend more and shopping in Langkawi would again become worthwhile.”
He added that some tourists were now opting for destinations such as Hat Yai and Phuket due to easier accessibility and lower travel costs.
The debate over Langkawi’s connectivity problems has also reignited scrutiny over ferry services linking the island to Kuala Kedah and Kuala Perlis.
Salleh previously criticised the lack of a comprehensive solution from the Transport Ministry despite ferry-related problems dragging on for years.
He argued that Langkawi ferry services should be viewed as an essential public transport service rather than merely a tourism-linked operation.
That position was echoed by Konsortium Ferry Line Ventures Sdn Bhd general manager Captain Dr Baharin Baharom, whose company operates passenger ferries between Langkawi and the mainland.
Baharin said ferry operators were struggling with surging operating costs, particularly diesel prices, while also dealing with negative public perception fuelled by political disputes.
“Some politicians are using Langkawi’s tourism issues to score political mileage instead of helping to find solutions. We are the ones paying the price,” he said.
He explained that operators had been forced to ration ferry trips at certain periods to balance operating costs against passenger demand.
According to Baharin, ferry operators currently receive only limited diesel subsidies despite operating costs rising sharply following geopolitical tensions in the Middle East. The price of industrial diesel for ferries had doubled to more than RM8 per litre since the conflict erupted.
He urged Putrajaya to classify Langkawi ferry services as public transport so operators could qualify for better diesel subsidies similar to those received by bus operators.
“If the government classifies Langkawi ferries as public transport, operators can stabilise ticket prices and invest in new ferries and better services,” he said.
Industry observers said the latest political row ultimately reflected a larger question surrounding Langkawi’s future direction – whether the island should pursue mass tourism growth similar to regional competitors or continue positioning itself as a sustainable, family-friendly and eco-tourism destination.
