Turning Bidong into tourist draw.

(From New Straits Times (Malaysia))

A TOTAL of RM8 million has been allocated to turn Pulau Bidong, a former Vietnamese refugee camp, into a gazetted recreational tourist island, the first in Terengganu.

"Once completed by the third quarter of next year, Pulau Bidong will be one of the latest products for our Visit Terengganu Year 2008," said State Industrial and Tourism Development Committee chairman Datuk Mohamed Awang Tera.

Besides facilities like a jetty, toilets, changing rooms and restaurants, the new Bidong will also have a mini museum showcasing the history of the island.

There will also be a proper walkway around the remains of the …