Klim Geo Park of Langkawi
Seen above two photographs which tell the leisurely atmosphere which grips tourists and visitors who visit Langkawi. We were there yesterday and visited the Geo-Park area of the island which pulls in visitors. This part of Langkawi offers the Klim limestone outcrop plus other extraordinary features. Malaysia is recognized by UNESCO for its Geo Park, the one and only at the legendary island since 2006 which retained its status in 2011. Geologically the island is made up of three different rocks: sandstone, limestone and marble. With this recognition we now know that the strong focal point of Langkawi Geo Park is the 550 million year Gunong MatChinchang, Pulau Dayang Bunting and the Klim outcrops with their high composition of marble and limestone. Its international focus placed the island as an important site for scientists, geologists and visitors. Why not since it connects us to prehistoric dating.
You notice the third picture i.e a board that shows the price and characteristics of the area at Klim especially. For the rental of a boat plus its driver you can spent your choice of hours in the locality to observe amongst others the many limestone outcrops especially the KLIM, bat cave, eagle feeding, fish farm, mangroves, the vegetation and enjoy a sea tour. The RM 200 - RM 400 is for a boat with 8-10 passengers. Happy with the thoughts of engaging oneself with the adventures as specified and thrown back into time frame, we howver reserve another day for the tour. Suffice that we have seen what we wanted.
What assult us as we came back to the jetty and board the ferry for its normal one hour trip to Kuala Perlis was the chaotic norm. This time more pressing as there was a large passenger group returning to the mainland. We wonder whether any high ranking official ever care to visit and gauge the procedure and safety at the jetty and on board the ferry. Must we face a calamity or an uninvited mishap to happen before we start jumping to correct what should have been done now? Where is the tourism, marine,state official,political representative or any one responsible to help and correct the shortcomings as they were? It crossed our mind, whether we would care to walk into the same situation again. Or is it worth coming to the island?
With thousand of visitors arriving and departing via the ferries bound to Kuah and from Pulau Pinang, Kuala Kedah, Kuala Perlis, Satun (Thailand) one would wish greater crowd and passenger control at the ferry terminals. Facilities need to be upgraded from time to time.We cannot help comparing what are offered at the airports. Why the disparity and short-change? Imagine passengers here have to pay RM 1.00 for the use of an aged trolley at both terminals whereas it's free at the airports. Even supermarket charged 20 sen which is returnable when you checked it at its base. Embarking and disembarking likewise called for patience. On board it is another exercise at looking for your seats and then having to argue with fellow passengers who unwittingly have occupied the seats. It is no surprise to notice that once the ferry has left the dock, passenger are lulled to sleep. Exhausted by the episodes of getting home after a holiday on the legendary island. Mind you, you may have cramps upon arrival as the leg rooms between seats are too good for comforts.
With thousand of visitors arriving and departing via the ferries bound to Kuah and from Pulau Pinang, Kuala Kedah, Kuala Perlis, Satun (Thailand) one would wish greater crowd and passenger control at the ferry terminals. Facilities need to be upgraded from time to time.We cannot help comparing what are offered at the airports. Why the disparity and short-change? Imagine passengers here have to pay RM 1.00 for the use of an aged trolley at both terminals whereas it's free at the airports. Even supermarket charged 20 sen which is returnable when you checked it at its base. Embarking and disembarking likewise called for patience. On board it is another exercise at looking for your seats and then having to argue with fellow passengers who unwittingly have occupied the seats. It is no surprise to notice that once the ferry has left the dock, passenger are lulled to sleep. Exhausted by the episodes of getting home after a holiday on the legendary island. Mind you, you may have cramps upon arrival as the leg rooms between seats are too good for comforts.
A bicycle was ready to be carried on board. A sailing enthusiast even had his sailing kits plus aluminum poles for carriage on the ferry. ( the box next to the bicycle)
Imagine if there is an emergency and with more than four hundred passengers on board, adult and children would these luggage and suitcases in your path be of any help? In the first place they shouldn't be here.
It may strike you that this person is being fussy and uncompromising over issues which should be left untouched since it is outside his realm. I believe however this has been our weakness. People do not want to take responsibility. Even those with authority would rather remained aloof and leave things for others. It is an attitude that does not help and allow us to slip down, down and down. Leadership, authority and concerned for society and service have taken a back rest. Feeling as it is this observation will be directed to the authority concerned with hope that visitors to Langkawi and those excited to discover the GEO PARK, the one and only in South East Asia will continue to make their way to the holiday island of Malaysia.
4 comments:
It is the same story in our part of the world when it comes to safety. Boat rides, the menace on our roads, construction sites, pot-holes and open drains etc etc are part of our life. We have ministers in very aspect of life, should we a minister for water travel, one for road and highways, one for construction, one for fallen trees and so on, each with deputy and committee!
Sdr Al Manar,
Thank you for yr support and sympathy for our shortcomings in the areas you mention. It is unthinkable to realize what the future will be, since we are not instilling the correct procedures and directions now. Could be our experience and life style expect the minimum of care and consideration but never seems to be realized. Salam
Malaysian's life must be very cheap.. to wait for a fatal incident to occur to eventually move those machineries to action. Our tolerating attitude, even in the matter of safety, will not allow us to go far in any field we ventured in. In Oil and Gas Business we do have stringent Health, Safety and Environment procedures that we have to follow as 2010 BP’s Macondo incident (the explosion killed 11 workers and injured 16 others; another 99 people survived without serious physical injury). A pertinent practice in the industry now as one similar incident can wipe out incomes from a few years of profitable and safe operation. However such stringent Health, Safety and Environment practices involve high cost and time, hence was not picked up by other industries in Malaysia :(( .
Glad that many are able to enjoy and appreciate the Kilim geo park. We first recomended it to be preserved for tourism in 1991 in the Langkawi Structure Plan.
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