Movie Theatres Set to Return to Kuala Terengganu After 22-Year Ban

For the past 22 years, Terengganu residents' idea of watching a movie meant tuning into a TV or laptop, or travelling to a cinema in another state. Some of them have probably never had a silver screen experience as the ban may be older than them. This year, they no longer have to wait until movies are released on TV stations or go through the hassle of interstate travelling just to enjoy a movie because cinemas are making a comeback in Kuala Terengganu!

The city will have its own first ultra-modern Cineplex at Paya Bunga Sentral. This move was made in conjunction with the Visit Beautiful Terengganu 2017 campaign, helmed by Terengganu’s Chief Minister, Datuk Seri Ahmad Razif Abdul Rahman.

The ban was enforced back in 1995 when PAS won the general election and enforced a new direction on the state government. The cinema, Lotus Five-Star (LFS) Cinema, will take up five floors at the Paya Bunga Sentral and can accommodate up to 1,700 movie-goers.

“We expect overwhelming response from the public who have been eagerly awaiting a cinema in town. The cinema is planning to screen the latest blockbusters and famous movies in English, Bahasa Malaysia, as well as Chinese and Indian languages,” an LFS spokesperson told the New Straits Times.

The cinemas will also be equipped with suraus to accommodate Muslims who wish to perform their prayers accordingly. The movie theatre is slated to open at the end of February.