Deputy Minister Khairul Firdaus Akhbar Khan claims that the Tourism, Arts, and Culture Ministry has never disregarded Langkawi.
He stated that Langkawi has consistently been one of the primary items marketed to foreign markets as a travel destination.
The government's commitment to promoting the island should not be in doubt, he continued, pointing out that his ministry had made significant expenditures for the island.
"All tourism and sporting events in Langkawi have received support from the Malaysia Convention and Exhibition Bureau (MyCEB)," Khairul stated on Thursday, November 23, during his closing remarks for the ministry's Supply Bill 2024 at the committee stage.
He listed Ironman Langkawi, which includes the Langkawi International Half Marathon slated for December 2 of this year, and the Langkawi Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition (LIMA) as examples of these events.
The MP for Batu Sapi stated that the ministry was also sponsoring athletic events like the Royal Langkawi International Regatta that were scheduled for the following year.
According to Khairul, "MyCEB not only supports the programs but also offers subsidies to help with international events that are to be held on the island."
Supporting Langkawi as the location for programs falling under the meetings, incentives, conventions, and exhibitions tourist segment (MICE) is also part of this," he continued.
The "Jewel of Kedah," Langkawi, had previously made news when it was said to have lost tourists and was in danger of turning into a ghost town due to a drop in reservations for tourism-related activities, according to stakeholders.
According to a report published in The Star on November 18, the island may fall short of its goal of half a million visitors this year after seeing a month-over-month decline in visitor arrivals of nearly 20% from the previous year.
The Langkawi Development Authority (Lada) provided the newspaper with statistics showing that visitor arrivals to the island had started to decline since September.