TG KLING – The warm friendly glee on his face fades into a forlorn gloom when Mustafar Jaafar was asked about the future of the fishermen in Melaka.
The 55-year-old head fisherman of Tg Kling sighed, pursed his lips and slowly shook his head – the same way a disappointed parent would.
A momentary silence ensued. It broke when Mustafar cleared his throat, ready to answer the question.
“Perhaps, we’ll last another 50 years. Hopefully. Inshaallah,” he forced a faint smile while wearing a look of resignation.
“But in all honesty, there is hardly any fish here in the Straits of Malacca,” he added.
The uncertainty stemmed from the state government’s penchant for mega developments requiring the reclamation of the iconic straits.
“M-Wez? Yes, I’ve heard about it for quite some time, even before it was announced by Chief Minister Datuk Seri Sulaiman Md Ali,” said Mustafar.
He was referring to the Melaka Waterfront Economic Zone (M-Wez) project that was unveiled on August 26 last year – six months after Barisan Nasional (BN) toppled the Pakatan Harapan (PH) government.
The RM100 billion project – touted as a game-changer for the local economy – involves the reclamation of thousands of hectares of new land reclaimed from the straits, effectively narrowing it.
And this has alarmed nature lovers within the state.
“From what we heard, it’s a huge project that will cover almost the entirety of the Melaka coastline,” said environmental activist Chen Run Jia, a member of the Save Our Oceans anti-reclamation movement.
According to Chen, the project will span about 33km, involving 25,000ha of land.
“Starting from Umbai all the way to Pantai Puteri. However, I heard that it is going to be larger than that.
“The authorities have yet to furnish the project’s EIA (Environmental Impact Assessment) report. So, for us, the public does not know the extent of M-Wez’s impact,” said Chen.
In the final version of M-Wez’s plan, announced in April this year, the size of the project has been extended further north, covering a length of 33km, and now runs through Sg Udang.
In fact, its coastline is littered with empty plots of reclaimed land and unoccupied commercial lots, particularly the ones built under the ambitious Melaka Gateway project in Pulau Melaka.
“You cannot simply develop Melaka like you would Johor Baru or the Klang Valley.
“Melaka’s charm lies in its heritage. It was always a tourist destination even before the rampant land reclamation development started.
“If this project succeeds, Melaka will lose its identity,” lamented Chen.
It also seems that the state’s touristy charm is not the only casualty at stake.
In an interview with Getaran, marine biologist Maria Marcos explained that Melaka will also lose its rich coastal biodiversity should M-Wez be built.
“If you pursue land reclamation, you are directly killing the ecosystem in the Straits of Malacca. Sure, there are some species that can migrate to other areas but there are also those that can’t – like snails and the worms that live in the seabed.
“These creatures are vital because they are the primary food source in the ecosystem’s food chain. So, if you smother them with sand, you are killing the ecosystem.
“I don’t understand. Why can’t they just build a marina bay and a few coastal banks for tourists to leisurely stroll along while enjoying the sunset in the Straits of Malacca?” asked Maria.
At the moment, the Melaka election is seeing mainly three-cornered fights between PH, BN and Perikatan Nasional, with newcomer Putra and independents trying their luck.
The voters in Melaka will cast their ballots in the coming polls in eight days.
So far, none of the politicians gunning for the 28 seats have mentioned anything about M-Wez in their campaigns. – Getaran, November 13, 2021
Reporting by Zaidi Azmi and Fitri Nizam
