Premier getaway resort will put Langkawi Island on world map, says PM
Graceful architecture: Sodakh (right) giving Najib a tour of the St Regis resort compound during an excursion to Langkawi.
The opening of The St Regis Langkawi, a joint-venture project between the Government and private sector, is part of a bigger strategy to put Langkawi on the world map, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.
He said more was still needed to be done to boost the island’s reputation among premier tourists.
“When we are able to bring upmarket tourists to Langkawi, we can generate more revenue and provide more high-paying jobs, especially for the locals.
“We will also get demand for handicrafts and local produce, and luxury car rentals, and others.
“There will be a lot of multiplier effects that can be obtained, including our wish that Langkawi’s connectivity with the world can be implemented.
“Currently, there is only one direct flight from Guangzhou to Langkawi.
“I hope this strategy will bring results in the coming years,” he told reporters after a tour around the hotel here yesterday.
Among those present to accompany Najib during the tour included Kedah Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Ahmad Bashah Md Hanipah and Rajawali Group chairman and chief executive officer Tan Sri Peter Sondakh.
The opening was graced by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Abdul Halim Mu’adzam Shah.
The resort, which is nestled on the jewel of Kedah’s southern tip, is owned by Integrated Nautical Resort Sdn Bhd, a joint-venture between Rajawali Group and the Finance Ministry.
“Langkawi also has a convention centre where international and regional-level conferences can be held. This is due to the facilities that we have brought to a higher level, based on the masterplan that I launched five years ago,” he added.
He said Sondakh was already an investor in Malaysia and had a good relationship with the Government.
“When he saw that Langkawi has the potential to develop a hotel like St Regis, as he is the owner of The St Regis Bali that is so famous, he said that he can build a hotel which is equally as great in Langkawi.
“So I accepted his suggestion and we had a discussion with the Ministry of Finance, and the result was that this project was completed in 19 months – a record where the private sector and the government venture into a project of international standard that can be successfully accomplished,” the Prime Minister said.
~News courtesy of The Star~
Graceful architecture: Sodakh (right) giving Najib a tour of the St Regis resort compound during an excursion to Langkawi.
The opening of The St Regis Langkawi, a joint-venture project between the Government and private sector, is part of a bigger strategy to put Langkawi on the world map, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.
He said more was still needed to be done to boost the island’s reputation among premier tourists.
“When we are able to bring upmarket tourists to Langkawi, we can generate more revenue and provide more high-paying jobs, especially for the locals.
“We will also get demand for handicrafts and local produce, and luxury car rentals, and others.
“There will be a lot of multiplier effects that can be obtained, including our wish that Langkawi’s connectivity with the world can be implemented.
“Currently, there is only one direct flight from Guangzhou to Langkawi.
“I hope this strategy will bring results in the coming years,” he told reporters after a tour around the hotel here yesterday.
Among those present to accompany Najib during the tour included Kedah Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Ahmad Bashah Md Hanipah and Rajawali Group chairman and chief executive officer Tan Sri Peter Sondakh.
The opening was graced by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Abdul Halim Mu’adzam Shah.
The resort, which is nestled on the jewel of Kedah’s southern tip, is owned by Integrated Nautical Resort Sdn Bhd, a joint-venture between Rajawali Group and the Finance Ministry.
“Langkawi also has a convention centre where international and regional-level conferences can be held. This is due to the facilities that we have brought to a higher level, based on the masterplan that I launched five years ago,” he added.
He said Sondakh was already an investor in Malaysia and had a good relationship with the Government.
“When he saw that Langkawi has the potential to develop a hotel like St Regis, as he is the owner of The St Regis Bali that is so famous, he said that he can build a hotel which is equally as great in Langkawi.
“So I accepted his suggestion and we had a discussion with the Ministry of Finance, and the result was that this project was completed in 19 months – a record where the private sector and the government venture into a project of international standard that can be successfully accomplished,” the Prime Minister said.
~News courtesy of The Star~
