This aerial handout picture taken by Sim Leisure Group Ltd September 11, 2019 and released September 25, 2019 shows the world’s longest water slide at Escape theme park in Teluk Bahang, Malaysia. — Sim Leisure Group Ltd handout pic via AFP

GEORGE TOWN, Nov 9 — The world’s longest tube water slide at the Escape theme park in Teluk Bahang here is now open to the public.

Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said for years, Escape theme park has been the leading tourist attraction in Penang and the opening of the new attraction of the 1,111 metre-long water slide will further strengthen its position as number one theme park in Malaysia.

He said a study conducted by Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) recently revealed that 10.9 per cent of international and domestic tourists came to Penang to visit Escape.

“The study shows a remarkable statistic and testament to the importance of Escape to both Penang and Malaysia’s tourism growth ambitions,” he said at the official opening of Escape phase 3 — Gravityplay and the Guinness World Records Longest Tube Water Slide here today.

Chow said the Penang Immigration Department’s statistic also showed that the number of visitor arrivals recorded from January to August this year had steeply increased by 207.7 per cent to 89,535 from only 29,101 recorded over the corresponding period of last year.

Also present at the opening ceremony was Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng, senator Lim Hui Ying and Penang Escape theme park founder and chief executive officer Sim Choo Kheng.

Meanwhile, Sim said today is the culmination of years of struggle to turn the dreams into reality.

“From conceptualisation to the support we received from the Penang Development Corporation, I am grateful for all those who have contributed to making Escape what it is today — a world-class tourist destination with world-record-setting attractions that generate more smiles per hour for everyone who visits Escape,” said Sim who also admitted having invested RM60 million in the last seven years to build the theme park.

Earlier, Escape Penang also inked a memorandum of understanding with GSPARX Sdn Bhd, a wholly-owned subsidiary of TNB, to build a photovoltaic facility that will supply renewable energy to Escape.

Sim said this initiative will make Escape the first theme park in Malaysia to go completely carbon neutral.

“At Escape, our eco-friendly parks co-exist with the natural habitat. We want our visitors to experience play amongst the beautiful terrain and rain forest we have here in Penang. This initiative with GSPARX will allow us to be fully self-sustainable and completely carbon neutral, how mother nature intended it to be,” he said.

He also added that the physical construction on an estimated 0.6 hectare of land will complete in over a year and will help reduce the monthly electricity bill of up to 15 per cent. — Bernama