IT’S a mega project touted to lure in RM100bil of investments over the next 15 years and has been flaunted as a “game changer”, but locals are more wary than thrilled about the Melaka Waterfront Economic Zone (M-WEZ).
Chief Minister Datuk Seri Sulaiman Md Ali, who launched the plan recently, said the zone stretching from Sungai Udang to Umbai, covering 33km of the state’s coastline, would involve the reclamation of 10,117.14ha from the sea, an area the size of about 15,000 football fields.
M-WEZ, a key part of the state’s Melakaku Jaya 2035 Strategic Plan, would encompass a harbourfront commercial area, a smart logistic hub, a digital satellite township, a central eco-business park and a trade nucleus township, and is expected to contribute 5% to the state’s GDP.