State Economic Planning Unit (Upen) director Tun Ahmad Faisal Tun Abdul Razak said the process of gazetting Pulau Bidong is expected to be completed in July.
An office will be built on the island for management purposes by the Terengganu State Parks Management Council.
“Pulau Bidong will be Terengganu’s fourth state park after Setiu Wetland, Pulau Tenggol and Kenyir Lake.
“We hope the declaration of Pulau Bidong as a state park will elevate efforts to preserve the ecosystem and natural diversity on the island,” he said during a working visit to the island.
Tun Faisal said that Pulau Bidong is now also known as a tourism destination supervised by the Terengganu Museum Board, with promotional efforts coming under the Terengganu tourism department.
“The cooperation among these agencies and the state Parks Management Council will continue to ensure Pulau Bidong remains a top tourism location, especially among scuba diving enthusiasts,” he said.
Pulau Bidong, which functioned as a Vietnamese refugee camp for two decades, was first opened to tourists in January 2017.
However, this was limited only to day trips. Tourists who wanted to spend the night there had to obtain permission from the Terengganu Museum Board.
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