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Interview Q Lines


Established by the investment arm of the Malaysian government in 2009, Themed Attractions and Resorts and its sister company Destination Resorts exist to develop new, world-class


attractions to stimulate the country’s leisure and tourism industry. The first of these, Kidzania in Kuala Lumpur, opened this February, while further branded attractions set to debut in the next few months include Legoland Malaysia, Sanrio Hello Kitty Town and The Little Big Club. A key area for much of the development is the special economic zone of Iskandar in south Johor – right on the border with Singapore, from where Themed Attractions hopes to attract many of its visitors. Ahead of the opening of Legoland Malaysia on September 15, Park Word talks to Themed Attractions CEO Tunku Dato’ Ahmad Burhanuddin. The 50- year-old former banker also serves as deputy president of the Malaysian Association of Amusement, Theme park and Family Attractions (MAATFA).


Themed Attractions and Resorts Malaysia


Why did the government choose to invest in Themed Attractions and Resorts? II think it's fair to say we previously undersold the tourism and leisure offer we had in the country, compared to our neighbours in Singapore, Thailand and Indonesia. We have a lot of natural resources – the jungle, the sea, the mountains – as well as great cultural resources and heritage and a fantastic climate. There is also a perception that Malaysia is a very safe destination. People like to come from China and India, the Middle East because we have a large Muslim community and, because we are part of the commonwealth, there are lots of British and Australians coming too. So there were already a lot of tourists coming but there weren’t sufficient tourism products and attractions for families and children, which would keep people for longer stays and spending in the country. That was the main reason for the development of Themed Attractions and Destination Resorts.


Are there enough private operators developing attractions?


There are a lot of people talking about doing a lot of things, but once they get to the feasibility study stage they cannot get it off the ground because they cannot get the investment. Outside of Kuala Lumpur, it is only at the weekend that you get huge numbers of people going to the theme parks. We are not here to compete with established attractions. Instead, a bit like like Star Trek, we want


to boldly go where no one else has gone before! And because the attractions we develop should benefit the entire nation's economy, it will be a worthwhile investment for us.


Why is now the right time for all this new development? First we wanted to get the infrastructure sorted and with Iskandar, a development region about three times the size of Singapore and twice the size of Hong Kong, we have that.


Another reason is that this will create jobs. A lot of Malaysians were moving away because there weren’t the opportunities here for them to do this kind of work; we were losing a lot of people to Singapore, even Hong Kong and Macau. When we opened KidZania it was interesting how much talent was available.


Why did you chose KidZania as the first attraction?


As Themed Attractions is a sovereign investment fund, it was very important for us to do something for the country first. KidZania is all about entertainment and education, so in Kuala Lumpur we have created somewhere that is of benefit to all Malaysian families with children. We are now all very excited about KidZania Singapore, which will open at Sentosa Island in 2015.


How will the attractions in Iskandar/Johor complement the tourism offer in Singapore? For people wanting to spend a bit more time after visiting Singapore there were not really the opportunities for them. Johor is a unpolished jewel with huge potential, and we have a lot of land, real estate and development potential. We will both


LEFT: Tunku Dato’ Ahmad Burhanuddin pictured at KidZania in Kuala Lumpur ABOVE: Role-playing fun at KidZania


24 AUGUST 2012


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