GEORGE TOWN: Penang has no plans to close its entertainment outlets in the city centre at 1am, like in Kuala Lumpur.
Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said the state government would stick to the 3am closing time.
“Our entertainment outlets are allowed to operate until 3am. We have no plans to shorten the time,” he said when asked if Penang would follow in Kuala Lumpur’s footsteps to close party spots by 1am from Jan 1.
Federal Territories Minister Khalid Samad had said that the new regulation would be strictly enforced.
He however said exceptions would be made for outlets with special permission to cater to foreign tourists. These outlets would be allowed to operate until 5am.
Pressed further, Chow said Khalid was only the “Federal Territories Minister.”
Being a renowned tourist destination, the entertaiment outlets in the state serve as a meeting point for both locals and foreign tourists alike, after most of the shopping complexes close their operations at 10.30pm.