SUNGAI PETANI: The mini-tarred road can fit only one car or light lorry at a time and, more often than not, motorists have to make way for vehicles coming from the opposite direction.
It's not easy to find this cottage and waterpark in this village surrounded by padi fields in Permatang Berangan.
During normal weekends, Berangan Aqua Park would have about 200 visitors, but the number increases during school breaks and public holidays.
"During peak seasons, we will have to use buggies to transport visitors to the Berangan Pool Cottage as parking is full and there is limited space to park by the mini tarred road shoulder.
We are doing as much as possible to avoid disrupting the lives of villagers," said its manager, Mohd Fikri Mohd Fadzil as he checks on the patrons, mostly young families.
The water park was built on a 20,000 square metre site with a modest set up to cater up to 250 patrons at a time. The entrance fee is RM9 across the board with free entrance for children aged 3 and below.
Meanwhile, just 14km away across the Penang border in Kepala Batas, Seberang Perai Utara people are making a beeline to the huge Bertam Souk and Water Park.
You can hear visitors screaming at the top of their lungs as they slide down from the 12m-high Voyager, one of its iconic attractions at the waterpark.
From the three-lane dual carriageway outside the Bertam Resort waterpark, one can see visitors queuing up the staircase, waiting for their turn to get to the platform.
It is a busy weekend as people in Penang and neighbouring states are taking advantage of the 40 per cent discount on entrance fees to celebrate the waterpark's first anniversary.
The normal entrance fee is RM84 for adult, and RM58 for children aged between 5 and 12 as well as for senior citizen.
Contrary to the multi-million ringgits Bertam Resort waterpark which appeals to large and diverse visitors background, Fikri said Berangan Aqua Park is more focus on niche market.
"We are not here to compete with big-time players. We are offering an option for families looking for a cheaper alternative to spend time with their young children," said Fikri.
MUSLIM-ONLY POLICY
While the Berangan Group is establishing itself as a provider of hospitality services, some netizens criticised its Muslim-only policy for the waterpark.
Critics are taking a dig at a video that promotes the waterpark as the "first Muslim water theme park in northern Peninsular Malaysia".
"When we designed the business model, the company owner's priority was to make sure that it suited the surroundings, which have about 300 Malay households.
"We also have Islamic religious and tahfiz schools operating in Permatang Berangan, so we had to take that into consideration."
He said the company had then decided to allow only Muslims for walk-in patrons to avoid visitors from wearing swimming attire that wasn't suitable with the community's sentiment.
"Our priority is to develop a sustainable business model that is suitable for the close-knit Malay-Muslim community.
"We have explained this to non-Muslims visitors and most of them understood our stand. We even recommend them to other water theme parks.
"Yet some people viewed and criticised our policy from a religious and racial perspective because of a misunderstanding," he said.
He said Berangan Aqua Park was open to all visitors regardless of race and religion under group bookings.
"We welcome group bookings by mixed-racial patrons, either a corporate organisation, association, resident association and Rukun Tetangga.
"In fact, we have hosted group events made up of multi-ethnic participants. It is easier to manage them in groups compared with walk-in patrons.
"We have two evening slots on Tuesday and Saturday allocated for group bookings."
WELCOMED ALTERNATIVE
Villager Siti Aishah Mat Isa, 45, welcomed the park's move to offer an alternative for Muslim women to enjoy time in a waterpark.
"We have religious and tahfiz schools here. The students do not feel comfortable being in conventional waterparks because of the surroundings.
"The same goes for most parents here. I don't mean that we are strictly religious, but we appreciate having an alternative that suits our taste," said the mother of four.
A visitor from Butterworth, Saidatul Ab Rashid, 29, said she preferred the option offered by the waterpark.
"The entry fee is affordable and, more importantly, it is not too crowded. It is safer to bring young children here as it is easier to monitor them."
Saidatul added that she did not sense anything racist about the waterpark's policy as non-Muslims had other options in Penang and Kedah.
ECONOMIC SPILLOVER
Meanwhile, villagers in Permatang Berangan affirmed the company's policy of prioritising the community's sentiment in running its business.
Azhar Ahmad, 55, said: "We welcome businesses that create jobs and business for the people without compromising on the sensitivities of Malay-Muslims here.
"Since Berangan Pool Cottage started several years ago, five to six villagers have ventured into the homestay business, not to mention other support services and businesses."
He added that Permatang Berangan could not afford to mimic business approaches in cities and towns due to its village backdrop.
Salleh Ismail, 62, a villager who works as a general worker with Berangan Pool Cottage, said it was unfair for those who had never visited the site to write or pass negative remarks.
"There is no reason for us to be racist because the company offers services from accommodation to venue for meetings and events.
"We even hosted a group of European travellers for a week and organised programmes, exposing them to our culture and lifestyle."
Salleh is one of 18 villagers who are employed by Beragan Group to run its facilities.