WHETHER it was a job cutting grass or cleaning hotel rooms, Hulu Terengganu residents who depended on tourism at Tasik Kenyir had an income to rely on.

Speedboats, resorts and houseboats at Pengkalan Gawi, the gateway to the lake, now lie quiet as a result of the latest movement-control order (MCO). Even before the lockdown, which began on June 1 to curb the spread of Covid-19, the ban on interstate travel had been in effect, stopping the flow of tourists to the popular destination.

Tourism operators at the lake said they used to enjoy visitor numbers as high as 817,000 in 2017. Now, speedboats that would take people for tours on the lake or for water sports lie idle at the dock.

Speedboat operator and restaurant owner Amran Abdullah, 44, said the lake was the biggest asset for the people of Hulu Terengganu to earn a living.

“Ask residents here where they work and they will say, as a gardener at one of the resorts or as a cleaner or some kind of job on the lake. The majority of people here get their income from tourism,” he said.

The ban on interstate and inter-district travel has killed jobs and affected the majority of residents.

“I’d say 70% of Hulu Terengganu people work at Tasik Kenyir,” said Amran, whose family is currently living off his savings.

Tourism here enjoyed a short burst of life last December when interstate travel was allowed, but it was hardly enough to make up for losses from MCOs imposed last year nor to prepare for the lockdowns that have been enforced this year.

“Now that we are in the third MCO, things are really bad,” said Amran.

“One of my friends who runs a houseboat said he is only eating wild ferns (pucuk paku) because he really has no money.”

He feels frightened thinking about the next few months, even with the national recovery plan announced by the government a few days ago on how the country will exit the lockdown to return to “normalcy”.

“We have nowhere else to turn to except the state or federal government. I’m not saying they never helped, as we were given RM400 during the first MCO,” he said.

“But the battle has been longer than expected.”

Tasik Kenyir Tourism Association chairman Zalani Endut said more businesses may close if domestic tourism, interstate travel and social activities are only allowed under the fourth phase of the recovery plan.

If this comes at the end of the year, as the government predicts, Zalani said it will be too late for many tourism operators at the lake.

He is approaching the Terengganu Development Authority to help about 250 business owners and workers at Tasik Kenyir.

“We know we received help from the state government in the first and second MCOs, but the burden now is just too heavy for many operators. Most of them have to deal with bank debt,” he said.

“It is embarrassing to ask for help, but we are not asking for a lot, just enough to be able to survive.”

Last November, state Tourism, Culture and Information Technology Committee chairman Ariffin Deraman said tourism at Tasik Kenyir had suffered losses of more than RM1 million. Bookings were cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Houseboat operator Rizal Muslim, 37, said he also had to refund customers.

And although he does not have a bank loan to repay, he is still worried about paying his workers’ salaries and fees to upkeep his floating accommodation.

Rizal suggested that the state government provide aid in the form of fee waivers for renewal of licences and interest-free loans. – June 20, 2021.