No blanket ban on water sports

GEORGE TOWN: The state government will not impose a blanket ban on commercial water sports activities in the Batu Ferringhi tourism belt as there is still demand for them among some tourists. State Local Government and Traffic Management Committee chairman Chow Kon Yeow said the state would need to be fair to all parties, therefore it only planned to regulate such activities in stages. He said the state would consider a proposal by the Consumers Association of Penang (CAP) for a blanket ban on all forms of commercialised water sports when it embarked on regulating such activities in stages.

Chow reiterated that horse riding and beach buggies would be banned soon while water scooter riding, and parasailing would be allowed under strict regulation and enforcement. He was commenting on a statement by CAP president S.M. Mohd Idris that confining water scooter rides and parasailing to a small beach zone, would make the situation worse. Mohd Idris had reportedly said that lives had been lost in the past through such activities and confining them to a smaller zone, would cause the area to be crowded.

Malaysian Association of Hotels Penang Chapter chairman Marco Battistotti said when these activities were properly regulated, the operators would have to abide to safety measures. “Such regulations are in place in Europe, Thailand, Bali (Indonesia) and Egypt. I think the authorities would regulate them by making the designated area for water-sports larger instead of narrowing it to a smaller area.” “I know Mohd Idris is championing many issues, but I have not seen him once in a meeting organised by the Penang Municipal Council on the issue,” he said.
-thestar online.