FORMER Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak's eldest son turned up at a beach protest last night in the famed Pantai Chenang, Langkawi.
Datuk Mohd Nazifuddin Najib, who is now also the Langkawi Umno division head, said the proposed development, which included another skyscraper on the beach stretch, could ruin tourism.
He supported the argument by protestors that such development can, in the long term, ruin rather than benefit the industry.
It encroaches on the concept of sustainable tourism, and in the age of climate change, more attention needs to be given to safeguard the area, said Nazifuddin.
It also disrupts the livelihoods of jet ski operators and inshore fishermen.
He believed that there was another way to develop the island without having to erect huge structures on the beachfront.
This is believed to be the first time that the 42-year old, an Umno Youth executive committee member, has made a public appearance on the island resort, which owes much of its rapid development into an international-class destination to former premier Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamed.
Nazifuddin had previously attended low-key events after being invited for dialogues with the travel trade community and small and medium-sized enterprises here.
He assumed leadership of the island resort's Umno division in 2023.
The crowd gathered at Pantai Chenang in Langkawi last night to protest the proposed rezoning of the landmark beach stretch and to demand approval for another development project in the nearby Pulau Rebak Besar.
Those who attended were believed to be members of civil society, Umno members, Chenang residents and traders, as well as retired journalists. - May 30, 2026.
