GEORGE TOWN, Nov 9, 2014: It was a fully packed tour of
Penang by 13 reporters and three Sarawak DAP state law makers from Kuching.
The tour, from Nov 3 to 6, was at the invitation of the
Penang state government.
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| Joann Khaw , our tour guide |
On the first day and after lunch, we were briefed on the
tourism industry in Penang by an official of the Penang Global Tourism, a
state-owned tourism agency.
This was followed by a visit to George Town World
Heritage Incorporate headquarters where we were briefed by GTWHI general
manager Lim Chooi Ping.
The briefing was informative, especially on the declaration of
old part of George Town as a UNESCO World Heritage Area
This world heritage area of about 259ha turns out to be a
major tourist attraction as could be seen by the presence of the foreign
visitors.
Some 3,853 old buildings and sites have been declared as
heritage sites.
According to trends, Penang is expecting some 5.5 million
foreigners to visit its shores by year-end.
An average of 201,000 visitors a month were recorded in 2013,
compared to 198,000 in 2012 and 131,000 in 2007.
The latest figures show that about 1.7 million tourists
came to Penang as of July this year or 4 % of the national total.
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| Pressmen taking a rest |
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| The Penang Bridge |
The tourism industry comes second after the electronic
and manufacturing industry in generating
revenue and providing employment for Penang.
Tourists from Asean countries made up 70 per cent of tourist
arrivals, with Indonesia and Thailand, as the major contributors.
The Indonesian tourist arrivals were recorded at 2.5
million in 2013 compared to 2.2 million in 2012 while the tourist arrivals from
Thailand rose to 1.5 million in 2013 from 1.3 million in 2012.
Day 2: Our first programme was a Heritage Site Walk,
covering some parts of the World Heritage Area. The walk started at 8.30am and
ended about 12.30pm. Our tour guide Joann Khaw said it would take about one day
and a half if we were to the tour the whole of the heritage area.
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| CM Lim Guan Eng talking with the Kuching media |
Among the interesting sites that Joann took us was the Leong
San Tong Khoo Kongsi clanhouse. With its long illustrious history and beautiful
architecture, it is also known as an icon Heritage Jewel of Penang, comprising
a majestic clanhouse, an opera stage, a courtyard and four rows of residential
terrace houses. One of the clan members was Khoo Hun Yeang, who moved to
Kuching, where he was involved in a construction industry. A street in Kuching
was named after him.
After lunch, we had a good trishaw ride along some routes
in the heritage area. At the end of the
ride, we had some Penang roadside cendol.
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| Leong San Tong Khoo Kongsi clanhouse |
Then we rushed to Chew Jetty. The jetty has also been
declared as a heritage site. Chew Jetty is the biggest and most visited water
village among the clan jetties in George Town. These jetties are unique in the
sense that they are also villages. We took a boat ride from Chew Jetty, passing
through fish-rearing projects, abandoned seaside dumping ground, condominiums
before passing under the Penang Bridge and back. One interesting thing about
each fish-rearing project is the presence of a large number of fierce dogs. According
to Clement Liang, secretary of the
Penang Trust Heritage, who was on board with us, the dogs are used to deter any
would-be thieves.
The sea between the mainland and Penang Island has been
turned into a lucrative fish-rearing business for the local businessmen. There
are about 300 cages where fish are being reared, generating a total revenue of
about RM700 million a year.
Clement and his wife also operate a homestay programme at
Chew Jetty, and among the famous tourists who had stayed at this homestay was
Anthony Bourdain, a well-travelled chef.
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| Ooi Hoay See leading the Sarawak visitors on a bicycle ride |
Day 3: After breakfast, we took a bicycle ride along the
old streets of heritage area. Apart from visiting the heritage sites, it was
also a form of good exercise for us. Since arriving in George Town, we had been
treated to sumptuous lunches and dinners. We cycled along the street arts and
traditional trades trail. Among the traditional traders we visited were a
coffee bean roaster who is still using the traditional methods.
After lunch, we visited the famous Penang Hill. It is
over 2,000 feet above sea level.
At night, we had dinner with Penang Chief Minister Lim
Guan Eng at a Chinese restaurant. We had a lively conversation with him.
Day 4: After breakfast at a hawkers' market, we departed
George Town with fond memories. Leong Kit Yeng, a public relations officer with
George Town World Heritage Incorporated, and Julio Lee, press secretary to Lim
Guang Eng, were at the Penang International Airport to send us off.
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