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THURSDAY | JUNE 18, 2026

Embrace regenerative tourism, Langkawi hotels told

have to be made. We know carbon taxes are coming, and by 2030, businesses will increasingly be ex pected to account for their environ mental impact,” he said. According to Wong, businesses that have already invested in carbon reduction and waste management initiatives are likely to face lower costs in the future. “We are creating our own carbon sinks. We bury organic waste and manage resources differently. If you wait until regulations arrive, you will be asking why all these changes are suddenly necessary. The reality is that you need to start now,” he said. Beyond implementing regenerative practices at the resort level, Wong has been involved in efforts to build industry-wide awareness and expertise. Last year, he led a five-day train the-trainer programme supported by a grant from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), bringing together around 20 hotel operators and representatives from six universities. The programme focused on strengthening capacity within in “We are not just relabelling standardised products. We have in house research and development capabilities and design products specifically for markets like Malaysia,” he said. Rather than investing in manufacturing facilities, PRISM+ is directing its capital expenditure towards strengthening operational capabilities in Malaysia. This includes investments in team expansion, customer service, fulfilment, logistics and physical retail presence. Between 2022 and 2025, Wong said, the company’s capital ex penditure in Malaysia grew about tenfold, reflecting its commitment to scaling its operations sustainably. A key focus of these investments is improving accessibility, particularly in underserved areas where consumers currently have limited access to such products. “Customers in rural areas don’t have the same access as those in Kuala Lumpur. Expanding access is not just a growth strategy, it’s about solving real, everyday problems and improving lives,“ Wong said. Despite ongoing geopolitical tensions, including conflicts in West Asia, PRISM+ does not expect significant disruption to its expansion plans. Wong said the company has invested heavily in building resilient supply chains and mitigating risks, including maintaining diversified sourcing and sufficient inventory buffers. “Supply chains are always

recovered from the sea is converted into charcoal and used to build infrastructure such as staircases and benches. “We even collect waste from the sea. The driftwood is reused rather than discarded. You have to start thinking differently,” Wong said. However, he acknowledged that regenerative tourism requires invest ment and, more importantly, space – a challenge for urban destinations where land is increasingly expensive. “There are sacrifices involved. You need space to implement many of these initiatives, and space in cities comes at a premium,” he added. Wong said stronger policy support will be needed to accelerate the adoption of regenerative tourism practices and help destinations remain competitive as global tourism trends continue to evolve. Wong believes tourism operators who invest in regenerative practices today will be better positioned when carbon-related regulations become more widespread in the coming years. “There is no such thing as a perfect business model, but some sacrifices

about regenerative tourism. The subject is already one step ahead of sustainable tourism,” he told SunBiz . Under the regenerative tourism model, waste is treated as a resource that can be reused within the local economy, while communities play a more active role in shaping tourism activities and benefiting from them. “It is about creating a circular economy, reducing waste and en suring the community takes owner ship of the direction of tourism,” Wong said. Many of these practices are already being implemented at The Frangipani, where efforts are focused on producing food on-site and eliminating organic waste. Wong said, “We do not have any organic waste leaving the resort. We are producing our own food, and when we expand our small-scale chicken farming project, we may even collect food waste from nearby restaurants and hotels to support the operation.” The resort also repurposes materials collected from the sur rounding environment. Driftwood broadening and deepening its presence. This includes widening its product offerings across more categories and models to give consumers greater choice, while simultaneously increasing accessibility beyond core urban centres into suburban and rural areas. “We want to broaden the categories and depth of products we offer, while deepening our penetration not just in Klang Valley but in suburban and more rural parts of Malaysia where we see immense opportunity.” Wong said Malaysia’s strong e commerce fundamentals are a key driver behind this strategy. The market is expected to exceed US$12 billion (RM48.75 billion) this year, supported by double-digit growth and high mobile penetration, with about 73% of transactions conducted via smartphones. At the same time, a growing middle-income segment is fuelling demand for first-time purchases of household appliances such as smart TVs, air conditioners and robot vacuums, a trend PRISM+ is posi tioning itself to capture. “Malaysians are savvy and cost conscious. They research, compare and know when they’re being overcharged for a brand name. That’s precisely the gap we aim to fill,”Wong said. A central priority under Wong’s leadership is repositioning PRISM+ from a display-centric brand into a broader smart home player. While the company built its reputation on TVs and monitors, these categories now account for less than

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PETALING JAYA: Singapore-based PRISM+ is stepping up its Malaysia push as part of its regional growth strategy, betting on the market’s “outsized opportunity” with plans to expand its product range, retail footprint and reach over the next three to five years. The consumer electronics company’s CEO, Jonathan Wong, said while Singapore remains a larger contributor to the group’s overall business, Malaysia is emerging as a critical growth engine due to its expanding digital economy, rising incomes and increasingly sophis ticated consumer base. “Malaysia and Singapore are both equally important in our growth strategy going forward. Singapore today is still a more significant proportion of the total business, but Malaysia represents an outsized opportunity to grow,” he told SunBiz in an interview recently. PRISM+ currently operates across both Peninsular and East Malaysia through a direct-to-consumer model, supported by an omnichannel strategy that combines its proprietary online platform, partnerships with regional marketplaces such as Shopee, Lazada and TikTok, as well as 10 dedicated retail outlets across Kuala Lumpur, Johor Bahru and Penang. Wong said the company’s expansion strategy in Malaysia is anchored on two key pillars – KUALA LUMPUR: As global tourism shifts beyond sustainability, re generative tourism is emerging as the next frontier, and Langkawi’s tourism industry should move faster to embrace it. The Frangipani Resort & Spa managing director Anthony Wong said regenerative tourism goes a step further than conventional sustain ability efforts by focusing on waste reduction, circular economy practices and greater community participation in tourism development. “In Bali, at a recent Indonesian tourism event, I shared the main topic future – it has to be implemented now, says industry veteran Ű BY JOHN GILBERT sunbiz@thesundaily.com Ű BY HAYATUN RAZAK sunbiz@thesundaily.com

Wong says it is about creating a circular economy, reducing waste and ensuring the community takes ownership of the direction of tourism. dustry associations so that parti cipants could transfer knowledge and best practices to a wider network of tourism stakeholders. Among the organisations in volved were the Malaysian Budget and Business Hotel Association, the Malaysian Association of Hotels and the Malaysian Association of Hotel Owners. “The objective was to

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create capacity within the industry. By training association leaders and representatives, they can

PRISM+ to widen product range and retail footprint in Malaysia push

exposed to risk, so we spend a lot of time derisking them upfront. While freight costs may be the first area to see pressure, our model allows us to manage those impacts effectively.” As a direct-to-consumer player, PRISM+ eliminates intermediaries, enabling it to maintain competitive pricing while preserving margins. However, Wong emphasised that the company’s competitive strategy is evolving beyond price alone. “It’s not just about having the lowest price. It’s about delivering a strong overall proposition – product quality, customer service, warranty, delivery and the entire ownership experience,“ he said. While rooted in e-commerce, PRISM+ views physical retail as a complementary channel that enhances customer experience rather than a competing one. “As our product range expands, consumers want to see and experience products physically. Our retail stores play a key role in building trust and enhancing the overall experience,“ Wong said. Looking ahead, the company is confident that its combination of affordability, product innovation and customer-centric service will underpin its growth in Malaysia. “Our mission is to provide premium technology and an exceptional experience to all. That combination, strong products and best-in-class service, is what will drive our growth journey in Malaysia,”Wong said.

Wong says PRISM+ has invested heavily in building resilient supply chains half of its business. “More than 50% of our business today comes from other categories. That’s something we want to reflect more clearly in how consumers perceive us,”Wong said. In Malaysia, PRISM+ has already expanded into air conditioners, ceiling fans and air purifiers, with plans to roll out additional products including vacuum cleaners and smart home devices such as digital door locks. The company aims to establish itself as a “smart home super brand”, offering a comprehensive ecosystem of affordable, premium home tech nology. Wong dispelled misconceptions that PRISM+ operates purely as an original equipment manufacturer brand.