[UPDATED] It’s not like we’re reclaiming land up to Indonesia: Sulaiman

MELAKA – Barisan Nasional chief minister candidate Datuk Seri Sulaiman Md Ali has hit out at critics who took issue with the coalition’s plan to move forward with the Melaka Waterfront Economic Zone (M-Wez) if it wins the state election.

The Lendu incumbent insisted that the project will be beneficial to Melakans and played down concerns particularly from fishermen, promising the group will also benefit from the development.

Speaking at a press conference today, Sulaiman explained that land reclamation projects in the state are not something new, and have been around since the 1970s, when Melaka was under the leadership of Datuk Setia Abdul Ghani Ali.

The M-Wez project, he said, was only a rebranding he made when he came to power last year in a bid to coordinate developments in the state, and that this was the reason he proposed the setting up of M-Wez Corporation.

“There was no coordination before this. Under the corporation, all parties involved in development issues will be in it. Every development must go according to the blueprint,” he said today.

“So why the fuss over this matter? We want to develop Melaka. I want Melaka to be like Singapore and Penang. We are about the same size, but why are they so much more developed?”

When queried on fishermen’s concern that their source of income will be gone because of the land reclamation, Sulaiman said: “It’s not like we are going to reclaim land up to Indonesia. It’s only 1.5km.”

The M-Wez development has been a sore point among many Melakans since the project was announced, especially fishermen who are worried that they will lose out by land reclamations.

In its Melaka election manifesto, BN included M-Wez as part of its plan to propel the state economy and provide job opportunities for its people.

Stressing on the importance of the multi-billion ringgit project, which will see the reclamation of 33km of Melaka’s coastline, Sulaiman said M-Wez will be beneficial for future generations.

“I don’t want Melaka to be a ‘weekend tourism state’, where there are many people visiting on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, but none on the other days. Until when? We must think forward on how to develop the state.

“What we are doing is for the future generations. It’s not for me, but for our children. We want to bequeath this to them, so that Melaka will be on par with other states. – The Vibes, November 17, 2021