PORT DICKSON: In its heyday, the Ming Court Hotel along Port Dickson’s Teluk Kemang beach was one of the most prestigious properties in the area, attracting tourists from all over.
But since the early 2000s, the facility has been closed and abandoned.
When Today Online visited the area on Oct 10, the hotel stood dejectedly empty, with peeling paint, mouldy walls and missing tiles on the roof of its main driveway.
Some locals even believe the place to be haunted.
The coastline along this seaside town in Negri Sembilan state is scattered with such derelict properties, a reminder of Port Dickson’s past allure as one of Malaysia’s top beach destinations.
Candidates contesting in this Saturday’s Port Dickson by-election have pledged a slew of ambitious proposals – including a new luxury resort, a highway connecting to the airport and even artificial reefs – to turn the seaside town into one of Malaysia's premier tourism destinations.
But what operators and locals say is really needed are simple tweaks like better place marketing, cleaner beaches and widening the local roads.
"There is an influx of hotels and airbnbs. We should instead focus on what we already have, which is the beach," Hotel Seri Malaysia (Port Dickson) general manager Mohamed Zamri Mohamed Rashid told Today.
He said during the town’s heyday in the 1980s, international tourists used to come to the area for a few days to enjoy the beaches before flying back to their countries.
"Now, due to a lack of promotion, we don't see this anymore. What the authorities should do is have electronic billboards at the airport, saying 'PD: 45 minutes away from the best beaches in Malaysia'," he said in using the acronym for Port Dickson.
Azhar Helmi Shahari, 33, who manages an eatery along Saujana beach, said the roads in the town should be widened to cater to an influx of traffic every weekend.
"Most of the roads here are narrow four-lane roads and the jam is further worsened when cars are parked along the roads, reducing it to only two lanes," he said.
The by-election was triggered after incumbent Member of Parliament Danyal Balagopal Abdullah vacated his seat last month for Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, to aid his return to Parliament.
Anwar has been named Pakatan Harapan’s (PH) prime minister-in-waiting but needs a seat in Parliament to legitimise his position should Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad step down for him during this term, as promised.
Last week, Anwar said an investor from a luxury hotel chain had proposed to build a RM300 million seaside resort in the town. He said he received at least three proposals to redevelop old hotel structures on the existing sites.
Anwar also announced that AirAsia is set to make Port Dickson one of its key tourist destinations, while pledging to build a theme park and a cinema.
“I want to make sure Port Dickson emerges as a very important tourist destination in this part of the world,” he said in a rally on Wednesday night.
Independent candidate and former Negri Sembilan chief minister Mohd Isa Abdul Samad said he will widen the road connecting Kuala Lumpur’s international airport to Port Dickson, from the current two lanes to four.
Opposition Pas candidate Mohd Nazari Mokhtar has pledged to turn the district into a leading Musang King durian hub in Asia, while independent Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan said he will place artificial reefs as one of the efforts to beautify the coastal area and increase the catch of fishermen.
Hard times
Promises over the years to transform Port Dickson have been slow to translate into actual projects and attractions.
In the 1980s, there was talk of building a Disneyland theme park on reclaimed land.
"I was so excited when I heard about the plan but the contractor went into bankruptcy and the project did not take off. Locals were so disappointed," said Port Dickson resident Yusalinar Omar, 55.
Mohamed Zamri of Hotel Seri Malaysia said it has been a real challenge to keep his two-star 100-room property afloat over the past three years, as corporate bookings dried up and competition from other hotels intensified.
As a result, his annual revenue has plunged by as much as 40 per cent. He also reduced his staff from 50 to 26.
"In my 24 years as a hotelier, this is the toughest time for me," he said.
Anwar's Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) has held the ward since the 2008 General Election but party leaders say their hands were tied. As opposition party, PKR had no access to state and federal funds to develop the town.
"The state and federal government then was under the Barisan Nasional (coalition). But now things have changed. The state and federal government is under PH and maybe it will also get a PM-in-waiting which will bring positive changes to the town," said PKR communications director Fahmi Fadzil.
The hard times may be over soon.
Haziz Hassan, the chairman of the Negri Sembilan chapter of the Malaysian Association of Hotels said most of the properties in Port Dickson have seen an upswing in tourist arrivals.
Hotel occupancy on weekends average about 80 per cent although weekdays remain sluggish at about 40 per cent.
Some existing hotels are expanding while two new ones just opened their doors this year. "If the town has no potential, people will not open more hotels here," said Haziz.
There are now about 200 hotels and resorts in the area.
Moreover, the new PH state government, led by chief minister Aminuddin Harun, has spearheaded efforts to keep the beaches clean by directing cleaners to start work at 6am daily.
This has resulted in cleaner beaches and more people are visiting them.
"PD is a rough diamond, I believe with new ideas to promote the place and more efforts to beautify it, it will be a star," added Haziz.
Meanwhile, there is light at the end of the tunnel for Ming Court Hotel.
A new owner is said to have just taken over the facility and is planning to revive it.
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