Gaya Interview: Mr Mahathir bin Abdul Hamid

Putting Labuan on Travellers’ Maps

Currently the Director of Tourism, Culture and Arts for Labuan Corporation, Mr Mahathir bin Abdul Hamid has been serving the department for 15 years, long enough to render him as one of the few personalities with credibility to talk about tourism in Labuan. Gaya Travel Magazine recently sat down with him at Labuan Bird Park to find out more about what Labuan can offer to travellers and tourists.

Mr Mahathir purposely arranged the interview to be held at Labuan Bird Park – which is directly owned by the Malaysian government and managed by the Department of Veterinary Services – because it is one of the things that make Labuan unique. The park has been in existence for over 22 years, making it among the oldest man-made attractions on the island.

Besides conserving and breeding various types of birds, the park offers the opportunity for public to interact and even feed the birds, ranging from the extinct Storm’s stork that is now less than 500 in the whole world, to rhinocerous hornbill and the African crowned crane. Once the indigenous birds are matured, they are released back into the wild at nearby Bukit Kubong and Kinabenuwa Mangrove Ecology Park. The park not only enhances travellers’ experience in Labuan but also enriches the island’s biodiversity. In early May 2019, Malaysia’s Ministry of Federal Territories agreed to allocate MYR1 million for the park to achieve its full potential.

Apart from the bird park, Mr Mahathir explained that Labuan’s other charms are its beaches, islands and duty-free items, all of which attract Japanese, Korean, and Taiwanese tourists on top of locals and foreigners from other countries. As a matter of fact, since 2017, the number of travellers from China, Korea, and Japan coming to Labuan has been rising to the point that China is now one of Labuan’s top three source markets, while Japan and Korea are in the top 10.

Interestingly, Koreans also come all the way to Labuan to play golf. The island receives Korean teenage students who participate in a six-week summer golf academy at the 18-hole Labuan International Golf Club for the third time. Labuan is selected as the venue for the academy because Sabah has already become too busy and Koreans prefer more exclusivity.

In terms of the domestic market, the island receives more local tourists from Sabah, Brunei and Sarawak due to historical and cultural links, including family ties. Many of them arrive in Labuan for work, visiting family and relatives, or studying. Travellers from Peninsular Malaysia mainly come to Labuan for work or studying, including those who intend to make Labuan as their entry point to explore East Malaysia because they are not bound by immigration restriction unlike in Sabah or Sarawak (Peninsular Malaysians can continuously stay in Labuan with no restriction, but only up to three months in Sabah and Sarawak).

Mr Mahathir further shared that according to Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) statistics, Labuan has one of the lowest crime rates in the country. On top of that, according to the Department of National Unity and Integration, Labuan is declared as a zero ethnic conflict zone for five consecutive years, indicating that the residents in Labuan live harmoniously, making the destination even more safe and secure.

The island is also touted as a healthy destination with low Air Pollution Index (API) because the ocean breeze generally sweeps away polluted air from the island, suitable for tourists who seek clean air to improve their respiratory health, also known as ‘lung washing tourism’.

Accessibility Mr Mahathir reminisced how Labuan Corporation, together with the Ministry of Federal Territories, successfully persuaded Malindo Air to fly directly to the island from Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA), on top of the existing services provided by Malaysia Airlines and AirAsia, thereby increasing the number of airlines flying directly into Labuan from Kuala Lumpur from two to three. Labuan can also be reached by ferry and small vessels that connect the island to several coastal cities in Sabah, Sarawak and Brunei.

“At the moment, air accessibility into Labuan can only be done through three domestic entry points: KLIA, Kota Kinabalu International Airport (KKIA) and Miri. We therefore thank Brunei International Airport for bringing in chartered flights from China because the Chinese tourists who came on these flights extend their visit to Labuan and Miri after touring Brunei. Travel packages that combine two different destinations such as Brunei and Labuan, as well as Kota Kinabalu and Labuan, are also already in place, ” Mr Mahathir revealed.

After enjoying themselves in Labuan, travellers can take the ferry to Menumbok town on mainland Sabah, then continue upriver along Sungai Klias to witness proboscis monkeys and fireflies. Conversely, travellers could also proceed to Lawas, Limbang and Miri in Sarawak, then ascend to the highlands like Bario and Ba’kelalan to be immersed in the authentic Borneo way of life.

Accommodations

“When it comes to accommodations, Labuan has enough rooms to cater to the number of travellers coming to the island, compared to before when the oil and gas industry boomed. These days, since the oil and gas industry retreated, there are now more rooms available,” noted Mr Mahathir.

To enrich travellers’ experience in Labuan, besides hotels, Mr Mahathir recommended for them to stay at any of the three villages on the island that are part of the Malaysian homestay programme: Kampung Sungai Labu, Kampung Bukit Kuda dan Kampung Patau-patau – each of these villages have their own distinct characteristics. Kampung Sungai Labu are for those who adore marvellous sunsets since it is located close to a beach; Kampung Bukit Kuda for agriculture since it is surrounded by orchards owned by the villagers and home to a several small scale or cottage industries; and Kampung Pataupatau Water Village, the only homestay in Malaysia that offers guests the chance to stay in abodes on stilts above water.

The statistics provided by the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture Malaysia show that these homestays always receive guests every single month, even during Ramadan (Muslim fasting month), especially when it coincides with Labuan Matriculation College registration day. Those from Sabah and Sarawak who work in Labuan and unable to return to their hometowns to celebrate Harvest Festival would invite their families to come over to the island and stay at these homestays. At the end of the year, the homestays are booked by various ministries, government departments, and corporations for conferences, meetings, and family day. “We are tapping into the backpackers and youths to stay at these homestays too since these accommodations are budgetfriendly,” added Mr Mahathir.

Events

Mr Mahathir informed us that Labuan organises three annual events that attract tourists to the island: Labuan International Sea Challenge (LISC), Borneo Art Festival, and Remembrance Day.

LISC – which includes all sea-based sports activities based on requests by participants and not just limited to activities like angling and kayaking – attracted around 1,300 participants from 16 countries in 2019; many were repeat participants, while the rest were new. Most international participants join in the cross-channel swimming activity from Labuan main island to Papan Island and back. In 2019, the total number of participants partaking in cross-channel swimming was 185, which the Malaysian Book of Records recognised as the largest number of participation in Malaysia for cross-channel swimming thus far.

Borneo Arts Festival, which is normally held in September, has a steady following over the years and lines up various artistes to celebrate visual arts, performing arts, and handicrafts related to Borneo. All forms of visual arts showcased in the festival need to be injected with elements of Borneo; the same goes for handicrafts, which is supervised by Malaysian Handicraft Development Corporation (Kraftangan Malaysia) to assist the participating small and medium enterprises. As for the performing arts, the categories consist of traditional dance, fashion, gambus (traditional lute) and bermukun (a traditional quatrain battle to test contestants’ creative wit), which is unique and becomes one of the festival’s highlights. During bermukun, contestants are required to ‘sell’ (deliver) original quatrains in specific tunes while beating on drums to their opponents who need to ‘buy’ (reply or respond) by singing the quatrains out in the same tunes. Labuan Corporation collaborates with Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture; Kraftangan Malaysia; Tourism Malaysia; and Department of National Unity and Integration to turn this festival into reality.

Labuan Remembrance Day, which falls on the Sunday closest to 11 November every year, is a military ceremony that commemorates the fallen troops and surviving veterans from Australia, New Zealand and several Commonwealth countries’?

The sentence should read ‘Labuan Remembrance Day, which falls on the Sunday closest to 11 November every year, is a military ceremony that commemorates the fallen troops and surviving veterans from Australia, New Zealand and several Commonwealth countries during World War II.

This solemn and moving ceremony is typically joined by their family members, including Commonwealth High Commissioners, ambassadors and dignitaries, whose presence boost the event’s stature as testament to the role Labuan played in the history of World War. Labuan Corporation maintains good relations with the British, Australia and New Zealand high commissions, including the state government of Sarawak and the Japanese consulate. Meanwhile, Japanese tourists hold a separate memorial service at Peace Park in Layang-Layangan on a different day.

Conclusion

When asked about his hope towards Labuan in the next few years, Mr Mahathir beamed. “It is my sincere hope that Labuan continues to garner more attention and better understood by domestic tourists who will generally know where Labuan is located so that they can come and experience a relaxing island getaway while indulging in duty-free shopping. As for international travellers, I hope they consider Labuan as one of the preferred destinations that offers tropical island serenity supported by well-placed infrastructure, with spectacular views of sunrise and sunset. I am certain that Labuan’s future in tourism is on the way up,” he concluded.