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Malaysia Says No to Casino on Pulau Jerejak Island
The Malaysian state of Penang has announced that a casino will play no part in the development of the island of Pulau Jerejak. Instead, the government will go ahead with plans to develop the island as an eco- tourism destination.
Last month, Penang residents were polled as to their preferences for the attractions that will be part of the island's development plan. Choices included a casino, a theme park, a zoo, and a safari. Although nearly one third of respondents said that a casino should be the chosen entertainment venue, government officials do not agree.
State Tourism Development and Environment Committee chairman Teng Chang Yeow said that a casino will not even be considered as one of the development options; other attractions, he said, would be much more likely to draw international and regional tourists to the island of Pulau Jerejak.
"My own view is a casino per se will not attract many foreign tourists. Most casinos are set up as part of an integrated resort with other facilities such as theme parks," he said, pointing to nearby Singapore's development plans.
"I see no purpose for us to dwell on the casino issue," he said.
Chairman Teng said that, as far as he understood, places that established casino sites did so in order to finance other attractions.
"Theme parks are expensive ventures with slow returns, so the casino is built to help generate money to cover expenses," he said.
Furthermore, the Tourist Development and Environment Committee chairman said, he did not believe that a casino would be enough of a draw to the island, since another casino is located nearby. The Genting Highlands Casino complex, which is located in Kuantan, includes a 692- suite luxury resort hotel, a theme park with a roller coaster and go- karts, and a golf course. The Genting Highlands Casino, which has 3,140 slot machines and 426 gaming tables, is open 24 hours a day.
Malaysia is a predominantly Muslim country, and gambling is not allowed under the laws of Islam. The Malaysian casino industry caters to foreign tourists, especially those from China, Hong Kong, and Singapore, and ethnic Chinese citizens of the country, who are largely Buddhist. All those who wish to enter a casino in Malaysia must present an identification document. If the document indicates that that are Muslim, they are denied admission.
Supporters of a casino in Penang point to the fact that this is the only one of 13 Malaysian states with a population that is composed predominantly of non- Muslim ethnic Chinese.
The state of Penang has been popular as a beach vacation and cultural site since the British colonized the region.
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