
Just off the northwestern coast of
Peninsular Malaysia,
about 30 kilometers from Kuala Perlis and
51 kilometers from Kuala Kedah, Pulau
Langkawi, as it is popularly known, covers
an area of
32,848 hectares. The island is divided
into six districts namely Mukim
Kuah, Padang Matsirat,
Ayer Hangat, Bohor, Ulu Melaka and
Kedawang and has a population of
approximately 45,000 inhabitants with most
of them being the Malays.
Out of the 108 (99 during high tide)
islands, only Pulau Langkawi, Pulau Tuba
and parts of Pulau Dayang Bunting are inhabited.
With a geological history dating back to
500 million odd years, the islands contain
unique rock formations. Numerous
caves like the mystical Gua Cerita, the
'haunted' Gua Langsiar and Gua Kelawar with
their stunning
stalactites and stalagmites, taunt the
adventurous.
Fine
beaches fringed with lush tropical
vegetation offer sun-filled days of
complete relaxation. The clear emerald
seas reflecting the shade of the azure skies provide a
host of water sports and recreational
activities, and a magical world of
marine life. Unspoilt and rustic, it is a
tropical paradise spectacularly endowed by
nature.
However, Langkawi is more than a place of captivating
beauty, it is also a
land steeped in legends and shrouded in
mysteries. Its past is filled with
legendary tales of wronged maidens and
lovelorn princes, all of whom have left
their mark for posterity.
The best-known legend is that of Mahsuri,
a beautiful maiden who lived here some
200
years ago. She was wrongly accused of
committing adultery and sentenced to death
by
those who were envious of her. White blood
oozed out
as soon as
she was stabbed proclaiming her innocence.
With her dying breath, she laid a curse
upon the island that it should remain
barren for seven generations. The Kota
Mahsuri Complex is a tribute and a somber
reminder of the wronged maiden.
As it turned out, in 1821, the Siamese
savagely attacked Langkawi. Upon knowing
the inevitable fate of the island
following the battle, Datuk Kerma Jaya,
the headman of Kampung Raja, the ancient
capital of Langkawi, ordered that
the granary located at today's Padang Mat
Sirat be
razed to to the groundand all the wells poisoned in order
to
starve the enemy. From then on, the island
slipped into a slumber. This legend is
perhaps the
main allure of Langkawi.
Call
it superstition or coincidence, the
island's slumberous existence ended
seven generations later. Modernization
crept-in swiftly and the lethargic
landscape of the land was given a careful
face-lift. On 1 January 1987, the Federal
Government declared Langkawi a duty-free
port and in 1990, the Langkawi Development
Authority
(LADA), which is housed in the LADA Complex
was set up to develop the
island as a tourist destination, as well
as to improve the socio-economic
conditions of the local people.
Today, Langkawi has blossomed from a once
sleepy hollow
inhabited by farmers and fishermen into a
prime holiday spot for domestic and
international travelers. Its main town,
Kuah once a sleepy hollow, is now a
thriving and bustling commercial district.
On 13 January 1996,
Malaysia saw the launching of Malaysia's
first communications satellite, MEASAT I
into the earth's orbit. Langkawi was
chosen to house the MEASAT Satellite
Control Centre to monitor and control all
MEASAT satellites in-orbit operation. The
erection of the centre at Gunung Raya, the
highest peak of the island, brought
Langkawi's name up further in the world
map. Today, MEASAT II & Measat III
(launched from Baikonur cosmodrome in
Russia in December 2006) are also
somewhere in orbit.
More and more tourists from all over the
world are beginning to stream into the
island for various
reason ' the idyllic pristine beaches such
as the Pantai Cenang, Pantai Kok and
Pantai Datai as well as the many small
islands namely the Pulau Dayang Bunting,
Pulau Payar and Pulau Singa Besar
surrounding Langkawi.
Another reason behind the arrival of many
visitors is the numerous international
events held on the island. Some of the
events include the Langkawi
International Maritime and Aerospace Show
(LIMA),
Tour de Langkawi, Langkawi International
Motor Show and Langkawi International
Dialogue. The venue for most of these
events is the Mahsuri International
Exhibition Centre, which covers a land
show area of 7500 sq feet.
To cater for the growing number of
travelers to the island, Langkawi
International Airport, located at Padang
Mat Sirat, has
expanded three times within the last
decade and undergone major renovations
costing RM90 million.Luxurious international class hotels and
resorts spring up like mushrooms all over
the island. Langkawi has suddenly gained
worldwide attention as a prime tourist
spot, the nation's aerospace centre and as
a host of top-notch events.
*
IIllustration for Death of Mahsuri by
Fazrul Arhan
Photo credits: Tourism Malaysia (top),
Rocky Islands aerial view by Gerald Cubitt