ALOR GAJAH (Dec 13): The Ministry of Housing and Local Government (KPKT) received an allocation of RM50 million from the Ministry of Finance (MoF) to upgrade infrastructure in areas with potential to be developed as rural tourism.

KPKT Minister Zuraida Kamaruddin said rural tourism would not only benefit the local community but the areas could be the preferred destinations among local and foreign tourists.

 “The RM50 million is a special budget to repair or upgrade small town tourism areas which are under the jurisdiction of local governments such as Gerik and Lenggong in Perak, and Umbai, Melaka. These areas have several tourism products or jetties operated by young entrepreneurs who take tourists for boat rides along the rivers. 

“This is where we will help, developing an existing jetty to make it look clean, beautiful and attractive to increase tourism activities and to provide business opportunities for them (entrepreneurs),” she told reporters after launching the housing project at Taman Puncak Kasa Heights here today.

Also present was Melaka Chief Minister Datuk Seri Sulaiman Md Ali.

Elaborating, Zuraida said all state tourism committee chairmen nationwide will cooperate with the local authorities (PBT) to identify potential rural areas to be developed or upgraded as a rural tourism centre.

She said among the projects that will kick-start soon are Jason Bay in Kota Tinggi, Johor, and Umbai jetty in Jasin.

Meanwhile, she said the Ayer Panas area in Jasin and Durian Tunggal here were among locations that have been planned for the development of People’s Housing Programme (PPR) which would replace the abandoned Perbadanan PR1MA Malaysia (PR1MA) project in the area.

Taman Puncak Kasa Heights involving the development of 1,160 units of affordable urban cluster houses is one of the PR1MA projects which had successfully been completed in the country.