RM22bil plan to turn Mersing into the likes of Bali and Hawaii

JOHOR BARU: Radiant Starfish Development Bhd plans to position Mersing town into an international tourist destination on par with Gold Coast, Bali, Caribbean and Hawaii. Chief executive officer Ungku Safian Abdullah said the town had all the ingredients to become a tourist hotspot and its potential had yet to be exploited.

“I can guarantee you that Mersing town will no longer look like what it is seven years from now,'' he said at a press conference yesterday. Ungku Safian said Mersing, which was located on the north east of Johor, was sandwiched between 40 unspoiled islands and the 200-million-year old Endau-Rompin National Park.

Ambitious plan: Ungku Safian (left) briefing Ghani on the Mersing Laguna project.

He was speaking after the signing of memorandum of agreements withYPJ Holdings Sdn Bhd, Sinohydro Corp (M) Sdn Bhd, Shengrong International Group Co Ltd and CIMB Insurance Brokers Sdn Bhd witnessed by Johor Mentri Besar Datuk Abdul Ghani Othman. The agreements entail the development of the RM22bil Mersing Laguna, which involves the building of hotels and villas, land reclamation, a water theme park and provide insurance coverage for the project.

Ungku Safian said the reclamation works and related infrastructure would cost RM4.2bil and RM1bil respectively, adding that some RM17bil was required for develop the rest of project which would take seven years to complete. The components of the project will consists 22 blocks of five-storey boutique hotels with 3,000 rooms, 4,000 villas and service apartments, marina facilities and commercial development

“Mersing Laguna is aimed at attracting tourists with high spending power and travellers who would love nature and eco-tourism,'' he said. Mersing Laguna is one of the nine projects announced by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak in Putrajaya on Feb 28 under the East Coast Economic Region.

-thestar online.