Late night partying only at tourist spots

Late night partying only at tourist spots

26 July 2006. The Star Online

TAIPING: The proposal to allow shopping complexes, entertainment outlets and restaurants to open longer should be confined only to tourist areas, said Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor.

He said the proposal was not for outlets at residential areas such as Bangsar and Sri Hartamas in Kuala Lumpur although they were designated as high tourist areas.

“We want certain areas such as Taman Melaka Raya in Malacca to have longer operating hours since it is far from housing areas,” he told reporters at a durian festival in Bukit Gantang here yesterday.

Tengku Adnan: ‘To a tourist, every day is a Sunday’
He said it would be ideal if cities such as Johor Baru, Malacca, Kuala Lumpur, Penang and Langkawi could extend operating hours for outlets.

Tengku Adnan made the proposal recently as a way to attract more tourists.

He said the proposal was based on complaints and feedback garnered from tour agents and tourists.

He said tourists complained that they were unable to shop after 10pm or enjoy themselves in entertainment outlets, which normally close at 1am.

“To a tourist, every day is a Sunday and they need somewhere to go at night,” he said.

Tengku Adnan said the closing hours of entertainment outlets varied from state to state. “Some close at midnight, some at 2am and some at 3am,” he said.

He said a Singapore tour operator, who took a foreigner to an entertainment outlet, found themselves in a police lock up after the outlet was raided for operating beyond the permitted time.

As to raids on entertainment outlets, Tengku Adnan said police should go ahead with their job if there was any illegal activity but the raid should be conducted fairly.

He said tourists should not be treated as “enemies” as they spent money here which, in turn, created economic spin-offs.