The Face Of Kuala Besut will be changed by the International Tourism Gateway Program

Kuala Besut, Bernama in Malaysia is set to receive a spate of developments to enhance the socio-economic status of its residents, starting with the International Tourism Gateway project.

The small fishing town which has long been a popular tourist destination for foreigners as well as locals will become the gateway to Pulau Perhentian, listed as the 13th most beautiful island by CNN.

Thanks to the state seat by-election on July 24 the people of Kuala Besut now have the opportunity to transform their lot for the better by voting for Barisan Nasional.

BN is committed to provide economic and employment opportunities to the town which has a population of 22,986 people, if its 17,683 registered voters decide to give the party the mandate.

Who would have thought that the long-planned development would finally be approved by the federal government. The RM250 million allocation announced by Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin is a blessing that would change the face of Kuala Besut.

As stated by Muhyiddin, the project would not only benefit the fishermen and tour operators but also turn the fishing town into a new area of economic growth in the East Coast.

The project is actually part of Barisan Nasional’s (BN) continuous efforts to improve the socio-economic status of the people although the opposition coalition claims that it was announced to garner votes for the July 24 poll.

It is a coincidence that funds for the project were approved and the person initially involved in it is BN’s candidate Tengku Zaihan Che Ku Abdul Rahman, 37, who will face Endot @ Azlan Yusof, 48, of PAS following the death of the incumbent Dr A. Rahman Mokhtar.

A former civil engineer with the Drainage and Irrigation Department, Tengku Zaihan was involved with the departments and agencies which had conducted the study to deepen the Sungai Besut estuary and construct breakwaters.

“It’ll be a shame if the people of Kuala Besut reject the International Tourism Gateway project, as both the fishing and tourism industries could reap the benefits,” Besut member of Parliament Datuk Seri Idris Jusoh said while briefing the media on the project.

The deepening of the estuary and construction of breakwaters would lead to the development of resorts, waterfront, fishermen’s wharf, yacht club and marina, he added.

Met during his campaign rounds, Tengku Zaihan was grateful that the government had approved the allocation and was confident that he was on the same wavelength as the youths in order to come up with fresh ideas for new developments.

The Terengganu-born politician from Kampung Nail said there were many development agendas planned by Dr A. Rahman but a number of issues such as land acquisitions and funding had delayed their implementation.

He cited the RM35 million allocation to upgrade the Pengkalan Nangka dam and canal which was the main source of water for 900 hectares of padi fields, saying it would increase production from four metric tonnes to 5.5 and enable two harvests a year.

Tengku Zaihan’s direct involvement in the planning of both the projects make him the best candidate to implement them.

Furthermore, Muhyiddin also announced that if the Kuala Besut voters chose the BN candidate, he (Tengku Zaihan) would be appointed to monitor both the projects based on his qualifications and vast experience in the field of irrigation and drainage.

The ball is now in the voters’ court. Would they choose a vision of exciting development or remain complacent in their present existence?