LETTER | The Malacca state election is due by the end of this year. While it is still too early to compare party manifestos, I believe it is high time to state what many locals have long been feeling: we need a state government that prioritises its own taxpayers, not tourists.
Malaccans are more concerned about the daily quality of life, sustainable economic growth, and opportunities for our youths than about weekend spectacle and short-term tourism numbers.
The incoming state government must offer practical, long-term solutions - especially in creating high-skilled, future-proof jobs. We need to shift Malacca away from over-reliance on the service and tourism industry. Tourism has its place, but it cannot be our only pillar.
Over the past few years, post-Covid recovery efforts have been perceived as focused heavily on wooing tourists. We have seen:
A foreign film star with no prior linkage to Malacca, but with a history of tax evasion, appointed as tourism ambassador.
Large-scale biker events that brought thousands more loud and unruly vehicles onto already congested roads, much to the frustration of locals.
An estimated RM8 million was spent installing an LED light display on a rarely used pedestrian bridge, which had a leaking roof within six months of reopening.
Weekly closure of the town’s main traffic arteries for up to 54 consecutive hours, forcing many Malaccans to avoid the city centre, despite protests from local traders and retailers.
A 2024 promise to build a new transport hub, only to later reverse course and instead renovate the sinking Melaka Sentral.
All this, in the name of tourism. But how long can we rely on gimmicks and mega-events to sustain our economy? At what cost to residents’ comfort, mobility, and peace of mind?
Malacca is home to three established universities that produce thousands of graduates each year in engineering, information technology, artificial intelligence, medicine, dentistry, business, finance, and law.
Yet many of our brightest young people leave for Kuala Lumpur, Johor Bahru, Penang, or even Singapore, because suitable high-skilled jobs are scarce here. This brain drain should concern us far more than weekend tourist numbers.
Do we want a state economy built on temporary footfall - or one built on innovation, technology, and high-value industries ready for the AI-driven future?
Tourism should complement our economy, not dominate it. Development must serve residents first. Infrastructure must improve daily life first. Investment must create quality jobs first.
Malacca deserves a government that builds a future for its own people - not just a destination for visitors.
The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.
