MWEZ a waste of state funds, says ex-BN rep
TANJUNG KLING: Former Barisan Nasional assemblyman Nor Azman Hassan has poured scorn on the project to build the Melaka Waterfront Economic Zone (MWEZ), saying it is a waste of state funds.
Apparently siding with Tanjung Kling residents who are against the project, he said: “There are several phases to the project, which will involve artificial islands and reclamation. Why not just continue with the Melaka Gateway development?”
Early this year, Tanjung Kling residents pushed Putrajaya to intervene to prevent MWEZ from proceeding. And an online petition gathered more than 20,000 signatures.
The BN-led state government signed a deal with LBS Bina Group through its subsidiary Leaptec Engineering in April for the reclamation and development of 485ha in Tanjung Bruas.
The deal is said to be part of the project’s first phase. The entire MWEZ is to be built on 6,070ha of reclaimed land.
Nor Azman told FMT the project was under the state government’s management and said this meant public funds would be used to pay the high costs.
He also said the reclamation on Melaka’s coastline seemed to be unending and he pledged that Pakatan Harapan (PH) would conduct a holistic study on these projects before proceeding should the coalition win the state polls.
“I look at the reclamation along the coastline, and I don’t know where and when it will end,” he said. “This is a problem, particularly for fishermen.
“If we are given the power to govern Melaka, we will hold a holistic and more detailed study, taking into account the interests of all.”
After 38 years of being an Umno member, Nor Azman will be contesting as a PH candidate to defend his Pantai Kundor seat.
Like in 2018, he is in a three-cornered contest, this time against Bersatu’s Mohamad Ridzwan Mustafa and BN’s Tuminah Kadi, who was the Wanita Umno chief of the division he headed prior to his sacking.
But Nor Azman believes he has a good shot at garnering a bigger majority than his slim margin of 772 votes in GE14.
Among the factors he believes will help him are the presence of Chinese and Indian communities in Pantai Kundor. In 2018, most of them voted for PH.
“They make up between 800 and 900 of the population,” he said. “In GE14, I got about a hundred votes from them. God willing, I can get more votes from them this time around.”
Another factor in his favour, he said, was Perikatan Nasional’s decision to field a Bersatu candidate, pointing out that PAS had a strong presence in Pantai Kundor.
“This time, with PAS not fielding a candidate and PN deciding to put up a Bersatu candidate, I hope to get some of the 1,936 votes that went to PAS in GE14.”
He also believes he can win more than 3,000 of the 5,773 voters who voted for him in 2018. - FMT
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