The Terengganu government has advised the people in Hulu Terengganu to grab the jobs that will become available once the Kenyir Lake operates as a duty-free zone next year.

State Youth and Sports Committee chairperson Rozi Mamat said there would be jobs in the tourism, business and services sectors once the duty-free zone is established on Pulau Bayas on the lake.

“We should not let outsiders to come and take up the jobs while we remain mere observers,” he said at a eco-tourism programme of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Academy.

Terengganu MACC director Zainal Adam was also present.

Rozi said the Kenyir Lake, formed in 1988 after the construction of a dam to generate electricity, was 2,600 sq km in size and had 340 islands, and had developed into a major tourist attraction.

“This year, we are targeting up to five million tourist arrivals, with the revenue from tourism set to reach RM2.5 billion. Last year, during Visit Terengganu Year 2013, we recorded four million tourist arrivals and garnered RM2 billion in revenue,” he said.

- Bernama