Datuk Michelle Ong – MALAYSIA WORLD HERITAGE TRAVEL SITE

MALACCA: The construction of the Malacca International Cruise Terminal, part of the Melaka Gateway project, will kick off in three months and is expected for completion in 2017.

Malacca Transport, Project Rehabilitation and International Trade committee chairman, Datuk Lim Ban Hong, said the terminal would be able to accommodate four large cruise ships simultaneously.

“We are targeting 250 cruise ships to dock at the terminal per year by 2020 and bring in a strong economic impact to the state,” he told reporters in Malacca on Thursday.

He said this after a visit to the terminal construction site with KAJ Development Sdn Bhd chief executive officer, Datuk Michelle Ong and Luis Ajamil from project consultant, The Royal Carribean.

The RM40bil Melaka Gateway, near Pulau Melaka, is developed by KAJ Development and is the largest man-made island project in South-East Asia.

Among the planned facilities are a marina for yachts, luxury condominiums, bungalows with private marina, tourist eco-parks, theme parks and ports for cruise ships.

“Most tourists travel by land, but with the Melaka Gateway, we will be able to attract more tourists via the sea. This is part of the state’s Transport Development Master Plan,” Lim said.

Meanwhile, Ajamil said Melaka Gateway was the third entity that the Royal Caribbean had collaborated with for jetty construction and development project after Miami and New York in the United States.

“Normally, research on waves, ocean depth, soil conditions and waves flows takes four years but Malacca Gateway only took about two years from 2014,” he said. – Bernama

RM40b Malacca Gateway to open doors in 2018
Posted on 7 February 2014 – 05:41am
Eva Yeong
sunbiz@thesundaily.com

MALACCA (Feb 7, 2014): The RM40 billion project in Malacca known as Melaka Gateway which will be launched by the prime minister today will open its doors to visitors in 2018.

The 609-acre project which is being developed by KAJ Development Sdn Bhd (KAJD) will see the first phase attracting some 900,000 visitors during the first year of operations, said KAJD CEO Datuk Michelle Ong.

“We expect to have 900,000 visitors in the first year including international cruise passengers,” she told reporters at a briefing here yesterday.

Ong said the first phase, which will be built on Pulau Melaka, will include Malaysia Eye, two hotels, several resorts, a heritage walk, a fashion district and a marina terminal.

“We have already started work on Malaysia Eye and it will be erected in six months’ time,” she added.

According to Ong, the company obtained the concession for the project in September 2010 and received all approvals for the project in September last year.

KAJD will be the master developer of the project and it is currently in negotiations with various potential partners and investors for the project.

Ong said it is talking to at least five international brands and will be announcing some of its partners at the launch ceremony today.

Melaka Gateway is a project with 12 precincts including residential, commercial, cultural, entertainment and lifestyle elements. It is scheduled for completion by 2025.

The 12 precincts are Gateway Entertainment Precinct, Melaka Marina Cruise Centre, Melaka Historical Walk, Gateway Maritime Arena Beacon, Branded Fashion District, International Theme Park, Melaka Cultural Walk, Waterfront Marina Villas Resorts, Gateway Wellness Lifestyle Precinct, Melaka Skyline Apartments, Lohas Park Residences and Eco Isle Resorts.

Its marina terminal will be the largest in Asia, tapping into the growing number of cruise ships plying the route which currently do not stop at Malacca due to lack of facilities.

KAJD chief operations officer Gavin Lau said the marina terminal alone will cost some RM600 million.

“It will be able to handle three cruise ships at the same time,” he said.

Lau said funding for the project will be a combination of internal funds, partnerships and bank borrowings.

He said some of the land, especially the residential portions, may be sold to other property developers while some parts of the project will be jointly developed with other partners and investors.

“There are 12 zones in total and there will be a lot of international operators. Some of the properties will be developed by other developers, some on our own and some with partners,” he added.

KAJD which is predominantly a construction company, currently manages Malacca Zoo and Bird Park. It was also the company that undertook the revamp of Malacca River.