INBOUND tour operators are calling for watersports certification in the wake of an accident on Saturday which saw a Chinese tourist being rammed by a water scooter while walking along Penang’s Batu Ferringhi beach.
Responding to the case, the state government immediately ordered a temporary ban on watersports activities on Batu Ferringhi.
Malaysian Tourism Minister, Dr Ng Yen Yen, has also urged the Penang state government to come up with regulations involving safety procedures, zones for watersports activities and insurance claims.
She said seven beach accidents had been recorded in Penang over the last three months with three people sustaining serious injuries.
DiscoveryMICE CEO/president Lee Choon Loong said: “A temporary ban on watersports activities in Penang is not an effective solution because it does not address the core issue of safety. Certification will ensure that all operators know how to handle the equipment professionally.”
Anthony Wong, group managing director, Asian Overland Services Tourism & Hospitality Group, added that the government should introduce certification nationwide.
“Those who are not certified should be banned from operating and working in watersports centres,” he said.
