It would be a loss for the state government if the Malacca International Cruise Terminal (MICT) was discontinued, said Transport Minister Anthony Loke.
Loke said the cruise terminal, which is part of the Melaka Gateway project, involves reclamation works that have achieved half completion and if abandoned, would be a loss to the state’s economy as well as become a sore sight for eyes.
Therefore, he will be paying a courtesy call to Chief Minister Sulaiman Md Ali and the state government’s leadership to further discuss the matter and look at ways to revive the cruise terminal project.
“The ministry has received an application from the Melaka Gateway developer to revive the cruise terminal project and it is in the process of obtaining licence approval to continue the project from the ministry, especially the Malacca Port Authority.
"Personally, I have no problem supporting the continuation of this project. I am taking a pragmatic approach.
“I have instructed officials from the Port Klang Authority to contact the Malacca state government to discuss, in particular, the cruise terminal issue," he told a presser at the state DAP convention.
Emphasising the importance of MITC as it plays a vital role in the multi-billion ringgit Melaka Gateway project, he asked the developer of the project, KAJ Development Sdn Bhd, to focus on completing the cruise terminal.
“I had stated my position to the developer and asked them to focus on the cruise terminal. Don’t talk about other matters, just do this first,” he stressed.
Launched by then prime minister Najib Abdul Razak in 2014, the RM43 billion Melaka Gateway project covering 246.45ha aimed to create three artificial islands to host, among others, a deep-sea port, cruise and container terminals, marinas, shipbuilding and repair services, maritime industrial park, hotels and condominiums.
MICT is one of the many components of the Melaka Gateway project.
The development of the project is under the purview of the Malacca Port Authority, while its operations come under the jurisdiction of the Port Klang Authority.
However, in 2017, things started to go downhill.
The project struggled to get off the ground under then-chief minister Idris Haron and was subjected to a review under his successor Adly Zahari in 2018.
The project was terminated under Sulaiman in 2020 after KAJ Development failed to complete the reclamation works on time.
KAJ Development then sued the Malacca government but was unsuccessful.
Interestingly, despite losing the court case, KAJ Development was reinstated as the Melaka Gateway project developer by Sulaiman's political rival - Malacca exco in charge of industry and investment Rauf Yusoh - in March last year.
The Melaka Gateway project is now part of the Malacca Waterfront Economic Zone that involves an expanded reclamation effort involving an area along 33km of the state’s coastline.
KAJ Development's reinstatement was announced by Rauf on March 9, 2022. Sulaiman, who terminated the firm, was notably absent.
Bus services initiative is on
Meanwhile, in other news, Loke said the Stage Bus Services Transformation (SBST) programme via the myBas Melaka initiative will be implemented this year, as announced by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim in the re-tabled 2023 Budget.
He gave his assurance that bus operators will not be at risk of operational losses as the federal government will be financing them.
However, Loke said discussions with the state government on matters pertaining to the investment costs and the appointment of contractors are underway.
“We have not decided on the appointment of the operator. So far, there is one existing operator.
“The government will be paying the operators so the service is more stable. The only thing is that they need to ensure that the bus schedule is according to the set time,” he added. - Mkini
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.