(MY) Disneyland in Malaysia?

[Guest guest]

What is the impact on the environment with the building of Disneyland? Any

knowledge from past experience? Information needed.

 

 

Tuesday May 30, 2006 - The Star

Making of Johor Disneyland?

 

*Comment by WONG CHUN WAI*

 

THERE has been no official word but the talk is that preliminary meetings

have been held to get Disneyland to Johor.

 

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, who was in Japan for a

five-day working trip, reportedly met officials from Oriental Land, the

Japanese partner of Tokyo Disneyland.

 

The plan, according to speculation, was to bring Mickey Mouse and the

fantasyland to the proposed 9,645ha Nusajaya, a massive new township in the

southern Johor corridor.

 

The state is said to have set aside 960ha and investments worth RM2bil for

the plan, which could create 20,000 jobs.

 

Interestingly, in April last year, Abdullah said he had no objection if

Disney were to come to Johor.

 

Following that remark, Singapore's *Straits Times* contacted Michelle

Nachum, the spokesman for Disney theme parks in California for a

confirmation but all she was prepared to say was that Disney constantly

evaluated strategic markets around the world.

 

She would not confirm or deny that Johor was on the list.

 

No one is surprised that Singapore is keeping a close watch on developments

in neighbouring Johor. The Lion City, in fact, almost got its own Disneyland

in the Seletar area but the plan fell through.

 

It was reported last year that negotiations went so far as identifying the

site and the government was even prepared to add another station to the

North-South MRT Line, with the reservoir as a backdrop.

 

Singapore Trade and Industry Minister Lim Hng Kang was quoted in the *Straits

Times* as saying that in the end, it did not work out because Disney wanted

a 300ha chunk of land and was not prepared to pay for it.

 

Lim told Parliament that this happened in the 1990s when the government was

keen to attract a major theme park like Disneyland or Universal Studios to

set up in Singapore, saying " theme park operators are actually content

providers, they really only provide the software and the intellectual

property. "

 

He said they wouldn't " want to put in too much of their own money " and that

" they earn a development fee even before the theme park operations starts " –

management fees would be added when operation started, followed by a cut of

the gate takings.

 

Johor, on the other hand, has plenty of land. It is ready to offer up to

1,000ha of land and in comparison to Hong Kong's 70ha and Singapore's

reluctance to give up 300ha, the southern state has a distinct advantage.

 

But running theme parks is not easy, especially in South-East Asia. The

humid weather obviously works against us in Malaysia, especially when

visitors have to do plenty of walking and waiting in a sprawling theme park.

 

 

The theme park in Genting Highlands is successful because of its cool

weather and not forgetting the casino element.

 

The Sunway Lagoon's wet concept is also successful, given the fact that

Kuala Lumpur and Selangor, which have no beaches, have a big market.

 

The present Disney locations are in California, Florida, Paris, Hong Kong

and soon, Shanghai.

 

Florida has warm weather but it is not humid, unlike Malaysia, and can be

windy at times.

 

But our hot weather need not necessarily be a minus point.

 

The Formula One race in Kuala Lumpur is now touted the " hottest race on

earth " and even the monsoon season in Terengganu has helped put Malaysia on

the world map with the Monsoon Cup.

 

Singapore has had two bad experiences – the 12ha Tiger Balm Gardens, set up

in 1935, which later became the Haw Par Villa. It had over 1,000 statues

depicting Chinese legends but visitors found them gruesome.

 

It lost RM72mil.

 

The Tang Dynasty City was another flop, with one report finding the place

too hot on sunny days, having too much concrete with too few shelters and

people having to queue up for 40 minutes for a boat ride.

 

It was part of a comprehensive finding by National University of Singapore's

Associate Prof Peggy Teo, who does research on tourism.

 

Since then Singapore has played safe, preferring the air-conditioned indoor

kind of theme parks such as Underwater World and Snowcity.

 

Malaysia has taken the right direction by planning new tourist attractions

as scenic spots and shopping malls alone won't do, especially if we wish to

get repeat visitors. That was the view of some Arab tourists, interviewed by

a newspaper here recently. Our country should also not be in the category of

short-stay destination.

 

More attractions need to be created as the tourism industry becomes more

competitive.

 

Huge sums of money have to be invested to shift world attention to

Malaysia.

 

For example, Brazil paid more than US$1mil (RM3.6mil) to the Rolling Stones

for a one-night concert recently. Although the city treated its people and

tourists to the free concert, it drew world attention. Shanghai also paid

for the ageing rockers.

 

But in Malaysia, our politicians and some sections of the people may not be

so receptive; but it is a small sum to pay for assured global advertisement.

 

 

As travelling becomes easier, tourists have also become more demanding. They

expect their tour guides to know what they are talking about, having done

their research on the Internet before they started their visits.

 

If they wish to visit a zoo, it must be like San Diego Zoo, a world-class

outfit, or a safari park, where animals are allowed to roam freely and not

locked up.

 

Snakes and crocodiles are also *passe* now.

 

Plenty of homework needs to be done, especially on the financial prospect of

attracting regional visitors, if we wish to set up world-class theme parks

here.

 

Malaysians would surely like to see Mickey Mouse in Nusajaya but we believe

careful planning and plenty of common sense are needed as massive public

funds would be involved, so that no one takes the mickey out of us.

 

 

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Wednesday May 31, 2006

 

PM has met group over Disneyland proposal

 

*KUALA LUMPUR: *A group expressing interest in setting up a Disneyland theme

park in southern Johor has met with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad

Badawi.

 

He said this group was one of several that had shown interest in bringing

Disneyland into the country.

 

" I have not spoken to the Disney people themselves but there is this group

that has shown interest to set it up there, " he said here yesterday.

 

Abdullah said he did not have any details on how much investment would be

made as it was just a preliminary meeting.

 

" We are showing interest, " he said.

 

He declined to identify the group or the amount of investment planned,

adding that: " I don't think that they want to be told who they are. "

 

Reports have said Abdullah had met officials from Oriental Land, the

Japanese partner of Tokyo Disneyland, during his five-day visit to Japan

recently.

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Wednesday May 31, 2006

 

Effendi: We're in talks with Disneyland

 

*By SIM LEOI LEOI*

 

*PUTRAJAYA: *It's confirmed! The Government is in talks with Disneyland

officials in Tokyo and in the US to lure the international icon to set up a

theme park in Johor.

 

Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Mohd Effendi Norwawi

said yesterday that the Government was exploring the options.

 

" We are talking to both Tokyo and US Disneyland. We have to see which one is

the more realisable option for us, " he told newsmen yesterday after

launching the Economic Census 2006 in Putrajaya.

 

" This is because we want to make sure that the Southern Corridor is

comprehensively developed with theme parks and hotels, " he said, in response

to talk that preliminary meetings were being held to get Disneyland to

Johor.

 

Meanwhile, in Johor, the idea of Mickey Mouse and his gang frolicking in

Nusajaya has generated much excitement.

 

Johor Tourism Malaysia director Ahmad Esa said Disneyland was an

international brand with a solid record as a crowd puller.

 

" To have something of that magnitude is great. It will definitely pull

tourists here, " he added.

 

Johor's location, he noted, was a strong selling point and a Disneyland in

the state would attract visitors from neighbouring countries, such as

Singapore and Indonesia.

 

Johor Tour Guides Association chairman Jimmy Leong concurred, saying that

any international icon would benefit tourism.

 

" We welcome having a family theme park here, " he said, adding that Johor

could also capitalise on tourist arrivals via Changi Airport.

 

" But let's be mindful it is only a proposal. Let's keep our fingers crossed

and hope the plan materialises. "

 

Meanwhile, state tourism and environment committee chairman Freddie Long

said he was not privy to the proposal of building a Disneyland in Johor.

 

" But if approved and implemented, it will be good for tourism. The spin-offs

will be great. Hotels, food outlets, entertainment centres, transportation –

all these players would benefit as well, " he said.