One of the world's most beautiful islands is in our backyard BUT guess what???.....its not accessible to locals unless you've got big bucks!!!!!!!

What a load of corporate crap!!!!!!!!!!
On a recent trip to Pangkor Island, I enquired from the locals as to why I could not find any scenic spots frequently featured in glossy holiday brochures touting the island to be one of the world's most beautiful.

I was surprisingly informed that it was NOT Pangkor Island that was featured BUT Pangkor Laut, a gem of an island that sits a little distance off the main island. I enquired further as to how I could get there and was told I could not unless I was a guest at the pricey Pangkor Laut Resort.

My question is, since when did state governments permit a private entity to run rough-shod over a whole island. How can a private entity privatise a whole island, thus cutting off accessibility to the locals.

What next??? Langkawi??? Or even Penang?? Imagine a whole island cleared off locals so the 'big boys' with big bucks could play. I thought situations like these only existed in predated Bond movies. Imagine touting an island as one of the world's beautiful BUT not accessible to locals.

Furthermore, this sets an unhealthy precedent to other corporate groups who might have similar ambitions of gobbling up whole islands or large tracts of controversial land to the detriment of the locals.

Unlike public infrastructures that are accessible to all, like KLIA where the landowners were handsomely compensated, the same cannot be said of pricey holiday resorts (in this case a whole island) which appear to be the domain of only the well-heeled.

It is also ironic that the 'head-honcho' of this corporate entity in question had the gall to be featured in a local tabloid, singing praises to his lord on how his newly-found religion shaped his life.

Perhaps he fancies himself a modern-day crusader come to conquer lands armed with a smile and the almighty dollar. As a Msian born & bred, I strongly insist that at least parts of Pangkor Laut be accessible to locals. After all they have been there for ages and DO NOT deserve to be pushed around.

Come, on, lets not bring the good name of our lord into the picture as I honestly doubt he would have approved of the situation.

A few months ago, this corporate entity won a RM1bil river cleaning job. APPLAUSE!!!!!....I just hope they do not get to corporatise the river otherwise we'd have to pay big bucks to wade, swim or row or even take a 'pee' or a 'crap' once in a while along its banks.

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