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Tidak apa Attitude Will Harm Langkawi
Having been a regular visitor to Langkawi for more than a decade, I have seen the rapid development of this island. It has definitely made this island a popular tourist destination.
More than 10 years ago when rows of shops were constructed in Kuah town, trees were planted in front of all the shops by the developer. Unfortunately, they are now all gone. It took only a couple of weeks for a backhoe tractor to uproot them one by one to facilitate the change of new footpath tiles. The uprooted trees were replaced by rows of fancy roofs. At least 50 trees were uprooted under this beautification project. On a sunny afternoon, Kuah town now appears bright, hot and bare. There is less greenery to greet tourists.
An expanded jetty was built to cope with the increasing volume of tourists replacing the old one a few years ago. The jetty lobby was air-conditioned. For some reason the air-conditioning system is not on most of the time; thus the entire waiting area is stuffy and warm. Nobody seems to bother to open the glass doors facing the sea to allow for some ventilation. Seats in the lobby are in a bad condition. They are dirty and a few are broken. No action has been taken to repair and clean them. While in the lobby, you will get a shock if you walk into the toilets. Urinals are out of order and the floor is filthy. After crossing the sea, I got another shock when I walked into the toilet at the Kuala Kedah jetty. Filthy dustbins are placed just beside the wash basins instead of on the floor. The broom, mop and pails were just left beside the door of the toilet. The whole place is messy. Millions were spent constructing these two jetties. Every time I have to use these jetties to get to my destination, I feel very agitated by the tidak apa (uncaring) attitude of those in charge. How can this happen when so much effort is focused on promoting Langkawi as an international tourist centre? Unless those in charge are willing to carry out their duties without the tidak apa attitude, it will always be futile to improve our standards to compete internationally. An asset worth millions can rot away very quickly.
Langkawi 27/10/04
