Reclaiming more land for a duty free zone in Port Dickson?

I was struck speechless when I read the article "Multi-million ringgit plan to transform Negri beach resort" in The STAR newspaper on the 14th of April. While I think bringing progress to the tourism industry in PD will be a boon for the various businesses here, I also believe that starting up new project having a string of abandoned projects alredy is a really bad move.

Either the local government is so distant from the reality on the ground that they are unaware or they are turning a blind eye for selfish reasons. The later seems more plausible. Either reason is not a good one and only points to the incompetence of the decision makers.

There is already a massive marina project in Sri Rusa which has ben abandoned half way. The marina is already built, but the various hotels and yatch club that was to have been built on the reclaimed land around the marina has not been done. Another water theme park which was to be built nearlby was also abandoned after reclaiming the land. The former Ming Court Hotel in Teluk Kemang has been abandoned for many years and another tall building next to it is also abandoned. A little further down the road from this a commercial development is also abandoned. Closer to town in PD, just opposite the Masjid Jamek, another block of apartments remains abandoned. Why cant something be done to revive all these abandoned projects?

On the comment that there is no shopping complex, how big a shopping complex would you expect a small town like PD to have? The Store and Billion are there provide for most people, and Seremban, with a number of other shopping malls, is not far away. The authorities could take another look at the layout of the existing facilties rather than jumping in for another big project.

The menteri besar further comments that the decision was taking into consideration the environmental impact. How is reclaiming more land good for the environment? How is leaving countless abandoned contructions, which are also eyesores, good for the environment?

With this quality of decision making by those in power, its no surprise that that voters are begining to swing the other way. I hope some sense comes to relevant people before its too late.