MELAKA: The Melaka government is taking steps to revive Pulau Melaka by transforming the area into a vibrant venue for exhibitions, festivals and commercial activities.
Chief Minister Datuk Seri Ab Rauf Yusoh said the recent Food and Drift Festival there drew strong public response, attracting almost 200,000 visitors over four days until Sunday (Feb 8).
The event will be used as a barometer to plan more similar activities, he added.
"I will inject new ideas to revitalise this area, particularly to ensure it is redeveloped as a commercial hub while addressing the issue of swathes of vacant shoplots," he said on Monday (Feb 9).
Ab Rauf noted that Pulau Melaka had been left underutilised for far too long and required focused development to restore its economic value.
He said the inaugural festival, which combined food attractions with the motorsport of drifting, was an extraordinary success and created economic spillover for local traders and creative industry players.
Ab Rauf said more than 300 drift cars were showcased at the event, while over 200 local food vendors were given the opportunity to sell their wares, forming a mutually beneficial commercial ecosystem.
"The attendance figures prove the public’s confidence in the ability of young organisers to deliver large-scale, well-structured and high-impact events," he said.
The festival also featured lucky draws offering 10 modified cars, boosting visitor interest from across the country.
"The organisation of this festival serves as a catalyst for the historic city’s new branding as a destination for automotive tourism, gastronomy and lifestyle, in line with the aspirations of Visit Melaka Year 2.0 and Visit Malaysia 2026," he said.
Meanwhile, Ab Rauf said, the state government has allocated RM200,000 to benefit 1,000 recipients statewide in conjunction with Chinese New Year.
"For the Masjid Tanah parliamentary constituency today, I presented RM35,000 to 175 recipients, including food aid kits in preparation for the Lunar New Year," he said.
He added that a further RM10,000 from the Chief Minister’s Office was distributed to 100 recipients from the same constituency.
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