A safer Penang for visitors

GEORGE TOWN: The visible presence of the Tourist Police Unit (UPP) at Penang’s key tourist hotspots has boosted security and confidence among visitors, especially the large number of Chinese tourists.

Software engineer Li Wei, 32, from Shanghai, who is on his first solo visit to Penang for a short vacation, said he felt completely safe throughout his week-long stay here. “I saw tourist police patrolling near Lebuh Armenian and since I am travelling alone, this gave me a safe feeling. Although I didn’t need their assistance, it was comforting to know they are around and easily noticeable,” he said when met yesterday.

Another visitor, retired teacher Chen Min, 58, from Chengdu, said the presence of the tourist police helped her get better oriented with the city. “This is my second visit to Penang and I returned because I love the peaceful atmosphere and friendly people here.

“I went to Esplanade and Batu Ferringhi recently and noticed the tourist police stationed at both places. I approached them once for directions to a bus stop and they were polite and helpful even though we had some language barriers. “Their presence really makes it easier for tourists like me to explore with peace of mind,” she said.

Marketing consultant Emily Hart­mann, 34, from Frankfurt, Germany, found it reassuring to have the UPP personnel around, especially at busy spots. “Their presence makes me feel safer especially when travelling solo. I’ve seen similar tourist police at places like Bangkok and Barcelona, but here they seem more visible and proactive. It’s a great initiative that is trusted and helps tourists feel welcomed and protected,” she said.

Central police station chief ASP Muhamad Firdaus Ishak said four stations namely his in Lebuh Car­navon, Lebuh Pantai, Jalan Patani and Pulau Tikus are involved in providing UPP personnel on the ground.

“At the Central police station specifically, two to three officers are assigned to the unit from 8am to 8pm daily. They are deployed to areas with high volume of tourists and public traffic, particularly around Lebuh Armenian, Lebuh Cannon and Lebuh Acheh, all located within the Unesco World Heritage Site.

“During peak periods, the regular deployment of two to three UPP officers remains unchanged but other patrol officers, inclu­ding those from the Motorcycle Patrol Unit (URB), will also conduct routine patrols in those areas to boost crime prevention efforts.

“The common issues often faced by tourists include misplacement of their belongings or needing directions to specific locations. Our aim is to not only enhance crime prevention, but also foster a sense of safety among the public, especially foreign tourists.

“With the increasing number of tourists from China, UPP officers have been encouraged to use auto-translation apps to facilitate communication. In addition, our station assigns two female Chinese officers on a rotational basis to assist with communication, especially with tourists from China,” he said.

The UPP, which was established in 1998, suspended operations during the Covid-19 pandemic following the closure of borders worldwide, but was reactivated on Oct 2 last year. Currently, their operations are coordinated by respective police stations by districts. Besides foreign tourists, locals also benefit from the additional security and hospitality provided by the UPP personnel on the ground.

Penang tourism and creative economy committee chairman Wong Hon Wai said Penang International Airport recorded 3.16 million passengers between January and May this year, a 7.37% increase compared to 2.94 million during the same period in 2024.

“Of the total, 1.7 million were international passengers, up from 1.5 million last year. “Indonesia accounted for the highest number of international arrivals at 162,768, largely driven by medical tourism, while China followed with 76,532 arrivals, primarily for leisure travel. Other key markets included Singapore (59,728), Taiwan (17,672), Thailand (13,589) and India (10,735).

“China has risen from third place last year to second this year, while India, which is now in sixth place, wasn’t in the top 10 last year,” he said.

China was the only top source country to more than double its tourist arrivals to Malaysia in 2024 compared to the previous year, according to Tourism Malaysia director-general Datuk Manoharan Periasamy in the Malaysia Tourism Statistics in Brief 2024.

He said Malaysia recorded 37.96 million foreign tourist arrivals in 2024, a 31.1% increase from 28.96 million in 2023. Total tourism receipts also rose significantly, reaching RM106.8bil, up 43.7% from RM74.3bil in 2023.

Manoharan added that Singapore remained the leading source of international visitors, followed by Indonesia, China, Thailand, Brunei, and India.

The report highlighted particularly strong growth from China and India, with arrivals surging by 130.9% and 76.6% respectively, driven largely by Malaysia’s visa exemption policy for both countries. The increase in visitors was supported by a 10.9% rise in weekly flight seat capacity.

In terms of travel modes, 66.1% of tourists arrived by land and 28.9% by air. Penang International Airport alone welcomed 1.15 million tourists in 2024.

Visitor spending in 2024 totalled RM106.8bil, with shopping accounting for the largest share at 37.4%. The influx of tourists also contributed to hotel occupancy, with Penang hotels registering an average occupancy rate of 56.8% across its 376 hotels and 26,692 available rooms.