No physical development allowed in Pulau Sembilan - Ahmad Zahid

No physical development would be allowed at the Pulau Sembilan State Park, said Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

He said this had been decreed by the Sultan of Perak, Sultan Nazrin Shah and agreed upon by Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Zambry Abd Kadir.

"Any physical development has to be carried out on the mainland at Bagan Datuk, while Pulau Sembilan will just be a stopover (for tourists)," he told reporters after the declaration of Bagan Datuk as the 12th district of Perak, here, today.

The declaration was made by Sultan Nazrin Shah at a ceremony attended by over 10,000 local residents at Sekolah Menengah Sains Bagan Datuk.

Ahmad Zahid, who is also the Member of Parliament for Bagan Datuk, said three elements must take precedence in Pulau Sembilan, namely the blue phytoplankton (blue tears) phenomenon, a clean environment, and jungle trekking and island hopping.

"Tourists like to go to Pulau Sembilan because of the blue phytoplankton phenomenon which only occurs in seven locations in the world.

"We will focus on this state park, and two weeks ago, I myself had visited the islands to look at the non-permanent facilities and infrastructure there," he said.

Ahmad Zahid hoped that the Tourism and Culture Ministry and Perak State Parks Corporation could monitor the developments in Pulau Sembilan to avoid any disturbance to the natural environment there.

"Currently, there are three tourism companies managing tourist arrivals at the group of nine islands and I do not want any quarters taking advantage by building permanent structures in the area," he said.

The deputy prime minister said about 3,500 domestic and foreign tourists visited the islands each month and the number was being restricted to avoid any pollution and damage to the environment there.

He added that Pulau Sembilan was included as a must-visit location in conjunction with Visit Perak Year 2017.

The group of nine islands comprise Pulau Agas, Pulau Lalang, Pulau Saga, Pulau Nipis, Pulau Rumbia, Pulau Payong, Pulau Buluh, Pulau Batu Putih and Pulau Batu Hitam. - BERNAMA