Pulau Besar To Be Developed And Rebranded - Melaka CM

MELAKA, Aug 3 (Bernama) -- The Melaka State Government will develop and rebrand Pulau Besar as a tourist resort and free trade zone in efforts to eliminate superstitious and sacred activities on the island, said Chief Minister Adly Zahari. He said the island had a good potential to be developed like Pulau Langkawi besides turning it into a centre for the production of local products such as cocoa, thus generating economic activities for the local community. “Efforts to curb superstitious and sacred activities on Pulau Besar previously had failed because the island was not developed, neglected, isolated while no new product was produced there resulting in the area being abused by undesired groups. "With the implementation of planned and comprehensive development, superstitious activities that were carried out on the island previously had been eliminated thus cleaning up the area,”he told reporters at a press conference after the State Exco Meeting, here Thursday. Commenting further, he said the development needed proper planning as it involved several issues including the application for a tax-free zone for several other products besides hard drink which had been obtained earlier and the land ownership on the island involving several individuals besides the Melaka State Development Corporation. He said the development must be carried out immediately although it involved long-term projects because the state government and Tenaga Nasional Berhad had made massive investments of about RM30 million to supply electricity on the island without gaining any return as there was no economic activity. Asked on the position of several old graves which had been turned into sacred and superstitious sites on the island, Adly said they were a part of historical sites which would be retained but new development would be continued according to its suitability as a tax-free island and tourist destination. He said the state government would also gazette the island's undersea pipeline area as a restricted area for fishing following four cases of pipe leakage supplying clean water to the island which occurred within a two-year period lately resulting in losses of RM1.5 million for repair works which had to be borne by Syarikat Air Melaka Berhad. -- BERNAMA