PETALING JAYA: A Barisan Nasional election candidate has pledged to turn the country’s oldest Hainanese village in Terengganu into an eco-tourism destination, should BN win power in the state at the Aug 12 state assembly elections.
Khairi Afiq Yusof, the BN candidate for Kemasik, said the century-old village in Kemaman has potential as a tourist attraction which could contribute to the local economy, Utusan Malaysia reported.
“The proposal to develop eco-tourism in this area was among 10 suggestions presented by the Hainanese community in Air Jernih,” he was quoted as saying.
Khairi also said the area’s appeal to holidaymakers will be boosted by its close proximity to a East Coast Rail Link station once it is completed.
“Kampung Air Jernih has its own uniqueness. The Hainanese community here, especially those fluent in Malay with a Terengganu dialect, still maintain their traditions.
“We can preserve the old buildings here as attractions, just like the Chinese Village in Kuala Terengganu,” said Khairi, who seeks to wrest the Kemasik seat from two-term assemblyman Saiful Azmi Suhaili (PN-PAS).
The settlement in Air Jernih is regarded as the largest Hainanese village in Malaysia and is believed to have been established more than 110 years ago.
The villagers are said to be mostly third and fourth-generation descendants of those who sailed from Hainan island in southern China and settled in Terengganu.
Only about 500 residents remain of what was a thriving community, as villagers began moving out over the years to find work and later settled in places like Klang, Tangkak, and Port Dickson. - FMT
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