The Malaysian Amusement Theme Park and Family Attraction Association (MAATFA) hopes to revitalize theme parks in Malaysia, as the public is in great demand to visit such attractions.

MAATFA President Tan Richard Koh cited the re-opening of the Shanghai Disneyland Theme Park as an example of MAATFA who reported that it had been able to draw as many as 5000 visits a day and the expansion of its Hong Kong branch planned for 18 June.

“Seeing how other attractions, like the Penang Hill, have also successfully attracted many visitors since their reopening, it is very encouraging to see (theme parks being just as successful),” he told a press conference at the Escape Penang Theme Park in Teluk Bahang.

He said that Malaysians certainly want to enjoy nature outside, particularly after months at home in compliance with the Movement Control Order (MCO) to curb the COVID-19 pandemic.

His expectation was that, in accordance with the proper standard operating procedures, the Federal Government would soon allow the reopening of all theme parks and attractions nationwide.

Earlier Koh, Penang executive councillor for Tourism, Arts, Culture and Heritage Yeoh Soon Hin and Escape Penang founder and chief executive officer Sim Choo Kheng visited the theme park in Teluk Bahang for its reopening yesterday.

Sim pointed out that only the nature park theme attraction "AdventurePlay" was open while its "Waterplay," the water-based attraction of Escape, which includes the longest water slide in the world, was still closed to the public.

He added that reopening the theme park was ensured that it met the SOPs and gloves were handed out to visitors, social distancing was practiced and all the facilities of the theme park are disinfected.

“We also have to limit the number of visitors to just 1,000 a day (compared to around 3,000 daily before the MCO),” he said.