PADANG BESAR – Residents in Wang Kelian have expressed concern that the border area is becoming a ghost town with no efforts to redevelop or revive the socio-economy of the local community.
Since the free-flow zone in Wang Kelian was abolished, the area has been quiet, with not much activity going on.
A survey by Bernama found the rows of shops that were once lively with the presence of visitors are now abandoned, with many stalls now dilapidated and seemingly waiting to collapse.
However, the situation is different in Wang Prachan, a town across Wang Kelian on the Thai side of the border. The traders at the former are back to normal operations.
A resident of Kg Wang Kelian Hilir, Samsiah Desa, 58, said the villagers hoped that efforts to redevelop the area could be expedited to lure back visitors, especially foreign tourists.
“If this place is not developed immediately, I am worried that Wang Kelian will only remain in memory and become a dead town as it has nothing to attract visitors and tourists,” she said.
A trader in Wang Prachan, Aishah Che Min, 56, said she hoped the free-flow zone in Wang Kelian could be reopened to revive the economy of traders in Malaysia and Thailand.
“If business activities in these two places are revived, they will attract visitors and this will help boost the economy of the people,” she said.
Meanwhile, Sharifah Nor Azereen Syed Muhaidin, 26, from Langkawi, Kedah, when met here, said redevelopment of Wang Kelian would give new life to the tourism sector in the area.
“I often come to Wang Kelian en route to visit my family in Satun, Thailand. Before, there would be 20 to 30 bus-loads of tourists arriving in Wang Kelian. The place was so lively then,” she said.
Meanwhile, Perlis Border Relations and Cooperations Committee chairman Ruzaini Rais said the state government also hoped that the free-flow zone in Wang Kelian could be reopened, but the decision on the matter depended on the federal government.
He said efforts would be made by the state government to redevelop the commercial arcades in the area.
“We must attract back visitors to come to Wang Kelian and for that we are in the process of repairing and upgrading the commercial arcades in the area to be leased out to traders and border control enforcement agencies,” he said.
The free-flow zone in Wang Kelian was abolished in 2015 for security reasons.
Under the free-flow zone, Thais were allowed to enter Wang Kelian without the need for a visitor pass and passport while Malaysians could enter Wang Prachan in Thailand without passports. – Bernama, June 27, 2022
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