KUALA NERUS, Sept 19 — After being brought to a standstill by the COVID-19 pandemic for almost two years, Pulau Bidong is starting to ‘breathe’ again after the government allowed Terengganu to move on to Phase Three of the National Recovery Plan from last Friday.
Although not as popular as other resort islands in Terengganu, Pulau Bidong, once called ‘a second life’ island by Vietnam war refugees has remained to be the top choice especially for history and nature lovers.
Bidong Heritage Travel Sdn Bhd managing director Badrol Hisham Zaki said the beauty of its coral reefs, historical relics of Vietnamese refugees, the diversity of flora and fauna that are still ‘untouched’ and the existence of Malaysia’s first underwater gallery have made Pulau Bidong popular among environmentalists as well as snorkelling and scuba diving enthusiasts.
“Pulau Bidong is not for those who want to enjoy a luxurious vacation because it has no fancy restaurants or eateries and luxury facilities like on other islands.
“However, it has always been a dream holiday destination for tranquility and those who want to experience living like an islander,” he told reporters recently.
Badrol Hisham who is also a registered operator of one of the two campsites on the island said he has been receiving encouraging response from the people who want to know more about this historic island since the Terengganu tourism sector was allowed to operate on Sept 1.
In compliance with the standard operating procedure (SOP) set by the government, he said the number of tents is limited to 50 per cent of the usual capacity.
Apart from that, he said only fully-vaccinated individuals were allowed to travel to the island and they are required to comply with the SOP such as using hand sanitisers and wearing face masks.
Pulau Bidong was declared a Vietnamese Boat People settlement centre in August 1978 to November 1991. During that period, a total of 252,390 people took refuge on the island before moving to third countries such as the United States, Canada, Germany and Australia.
It was first opened to tourists in January 2017, but limited to day trips only. Those who want to spend the night need to get prior permission from the Terengganu State Museum Board.
Several tourists who expressed their excitement at the resumption of the tourism sector hoped that the state government would continue with the existing tourism concept in the island to ensure that its invaluable natural treasures remained preserved.
Nurul Ain Norazuan, 31, said Pulau Bidong is different from other resort islands because it has no permanent human settlements and is still free from any form of pollution.
“The beauty of its coral reefs which can be found near the campsite is already mesmerising,” said the private sector worker who was visiting Pulau Bidong with her colleagues.
For Mohd Rushdi Samsudin, 39, those visiting Pulau Bidong must always ensure that cleanliness is maintained continuously and abide by the rules set so that the island’s natural treasures can be enjoyed by future generations.
Meanwhile, state Tourism, Culture and Digital Technology Committee chairman Ariffin Deraman said a a mass gotong-royong programme would be held next week in Pulau Bidong to symbolise the reactivation of tourism activities on the island.
He said the state government would carry out repair works and upgrade public facilities or infrastructure on the island for the convenience of tourists.
“The cleanliness aspect will also be given priority because we do not want the island to be carpeted with garbage. Although Pulau Bidong is open to the public, we will limit the number of tourists because we want to keep it as an exclusive island to preserve its natural beauty and historical value,” he said.
Source: BERNAMA News Agency