The Transport Ministry will expedite the approval of the operating license for the Malacca International Cruise Terminal (MICT), recognising its potential to boost tourism in the state.
Minister Anthony Loke confirmed the resubmission of the application for the cruise terminal, this time under the Melaka Gateway project, according to the New Straits Times.
“We are supportive of reviving the cruise terminal at Melaka Gateway as it is a very feasible project and it will support Malacca’s tourism sector.
“In fact, last Friday, I met up with Chief Minister Ab Rauf Yusoh to discuss this. The state government is also supportive of it.
“Hopefully, we can revive the operating licence for Melaka Gateway to become an international cruise terminal as soon as possible,” Loke said.
In March, the minister said discontinuing MICT would cause a significant loss for the government.
Meanwhile, he highlighted the ministry’s strategy of attracting more cruise liners to establish Malaysia as a home port.
This initiative, he said, aims to bolster tourism and stimulate economic growth by shifting the focus from Malaysia being a port of call to becoming a preferred home port destination.
He noted that studies showed passengers who use Malaysia as their home port for cruises tend to spend three times more than those who briefly disembark during a port of call.
He emphasised that a crucial requirement for a location to be considered a home port was its proximity to international airports.
He also pointed out that both the Port Klang and Penang cruise terminals possessed this advantage, underlining transportation as a key enabler of tourism.
All aboard
Loke also said port authorities and operators have expressed their support to host more cruise liners as home ports at their terminals.
“The ministry is also encouraging this initiative. We look at it as not only increasing port and cruise movements but also to generate revenue and bring tourists into our economy,” he said.
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, a maritime industrial park, hotels, and condominiums.
MICT is one of the many components of the Melaka Gateway project. The developer of the entire project was KAJ Development Sdn Bhd.
The project was terminated under former chief minister Sulaiman Md Ali in 2020 after KAJ Development failed to complete reclamation works on time. - Mkini
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