MELAKA: As early as 7 am, Melaka Zoo saw queues forming as the public took advantage of the state government’s offer of free admission to tourist spots in the state in conjunction with the declaration of independence of the Federation of Malaya today.
Mohd Noradil Mohd Ali, 45, said he, together with his wife and three children, were willing to queue as early as 7.15 am before gaining entry two hours later to the zoo, which opened to the public at 9 am.
The restaurant owner said that despite the large crowds at the entrance of Melaka Zoo, he was thrilled to have fulfilled his wish to bring his three children, aged 11 to 19, to the state’s iconic tourism destination.
“I thought our family was among the first, but to my surprise, there were already many who had arrived even earlier…some had already started lining up as early as 4 am. We were willing to wait because free entry to the zoo doesn’t come often.
“The last time I visited Melaka Zoo was eight years ago, and at that time, the ticket price was only about RM7, but now it has gone up to RM30 per person…so we actually saved quite a bit,“ he told Bernama today.
Mohd Noradil said that after their trip to Melaka Zoo, he plans to bring his family to Malaysia Heritage Studios (MHS) before heading to the Declaration of Independence of the Federation of Malaya celebration, which will take place at Independence Declaration Memorial Square in Banda Hilir tonight.
Meanwhile, Norhayati Shamsudin, 42, from Bukit Katil, said that she and 14 other family members took advantage of the opportunity to visit Melaka Zoo since their last visit to the tourist spot was 12 years ago.
“We started queuing as early as 7.30 am…initially, we were thrilled, but the sweltering heat and the large crowd made the experience less enjoyable. After this, we might just go home and not go anywhere else.
“The ticket counter area is too congested, and I think Melaka Zoo should consider making some improvements after this,“ said the housewife, while also expressing appreciation to the state government for offering local residents the opportunity to enjoy free entry to the tourist destination.
A. Kirthijan, a 17-year-old with physical disabilities from Muar, Johor, said that he, along with his parents and younger sister, left home as early as 7 am to visit several tourist attractions across the state.
“I’m really looking forward to exploring Melaka, especially the zoo. After that, I’m thinking of heading to Melaka Wonderland Theme Park and Resort,“ he said.
P. Yeogasundari, in her 30s from Ipoh, Perak, who arrived in Melaka yesterday with her husband and two children, found herself surprised by the bustling atmosphere at Melaka Zoo and MHS.
“We stayed at a hotel in Banda Hilir, and our original plan for today was to visit Melaka Zoo. However, with the overwhelming crowds, we had to change our plans and opt for MHS instead.
“However, there’s quite a crowd at MHS too, and we just learned that today is a public holiday in Melaka…we’ll head back to Banda Hilir after this and return to Ipoh tomorrow,“ she said.
The state government waived entrance fees to several tourist spots in conjunction with the state public holiday commemorating the Independence Declaration of the Federation of Malaya today.
The 10 locations are the Melaka River Cruise, Taming Sari Tower, museum under the Melaka Museum Corporation (Perzim), Melaka Zoo, Al-Khawarizmi Astronomy Complex, Melaka Wonderland Theme Park and Resort, Melaka Marine Park, five Melaka State Golf Clubs, Melaka Prison Museum and MHS. –Bernama
