KANGAR: Perlis has the potential to woo tourists from the US as well as other countries due to its lush greenery and natural attractions.
US Ambassador to Malaysia, Kamala Shirin Lakhdhir said despite being the smallest state in the country, Perlis has many to offer, including the exotic Harumanis mango.
Lakhdhir said her two-day working visit to the state this week has given her a closer view of what Perlis has to offer in the eco-tourism sector.
“Perlis has an advantage because there are many interesting locations for outdoor activities, including hiking and caving that is suitable for outdoor sports enthusiasts from the US.
“Perlis is also strategically located near Langkawi and southern Thailand, so the state government could capitalise on the high tourists traffic to the two popular destinations,” she said in an exclusive interview.
Lakhdhir , who is an outdoor sports enthusiast herself, shared a rare experience when rode the bicycle together with the Raja Muda of Perlis, Tuanku Syed Faizuddin Putra Jamalullail on Wednesday.
Lakhdhir said the bicycle ride with Raja Muda Perlis and his team provides her with an insight of how close the Perlis royalty is to his subjects.
She added that besides promoting a healthy lifestyle, Tuanku Syed Faizuddin also visited poor and needy families along the way and presented them with alms and aid while listening to their plight.
“I am made to understand that Tuanku Syed Faizuddin had visited them more than 400 times and each time he would rope in officers from various agencies including the Perlis Islamic Religious Council to distribute the alms to the asnaf (needy families and individual) group,” she said.
On investments, Lakhdhir said Perlis also has potential to become a new industrial growth area in the northern corridor which links Kedah, Penang and also northern Perak.
She added that the new railway system included the Electric Train Service (ETS) which had boosted Perlis’s ability to attract human capital from neighbouring states without the need for them to relocate here.
“The development of Chuping Valley Industrial Area (CVIA) will mark the future development of Perlis."
“CVIA is the much needed growth mode for Perlis and I am confident that it would be able to attract investments to the state,” she said.
Lakhdhir who fell in love with the famous Perlis harumanis mango, also planted a tree at the Muda Agriculture Development Authority (Mada) area.
“I hope to return to Perlis in a few years time to harvest the fruit,” she said with a broad smile.