LANGKAWI: Tourists who had completed their mandatory two doses of Covid-19 inoculation should be allowed to visit Langkawi, said former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
He said the move was necessary to help revive the island's 'doomed' tourism sector, which has been ailing over the past year.
"Since Covid-19 struck the country, Langkawi has indeed 'suffered' and during the implementation of the Movement Control Order (MCO) no one visited until shops and hotels were deserted.
"To help Langkawi, people who have been vaccinated twice, I think they should be safe to come here," he said after a walkabout at Pantai Chenang, here, today.
The Langkawi Member of Parliament said nevertheless the Recovery MCO has allowed tourism players to breathe easier as tourists have begun trickling in.
"Tourists from the mainland, especially Kedah, have started coming in with the ferry schedule now reaching five trips a day with each ferry carrying 600 people.
"There is a sigh of relief among traders here.
He said at the same time, people entering Langkawi must comply with Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) such as wearing face masks and ensuring social distancing to curb Covid-19.