THE Selangor Government will embark on a RM4bil project that is expected to transform the town of Sepang from a sleepy hollow into a bustling tourist attraction within the next few years.

Sepang District Council president Mohd Arif Abdul Rahman said the state government had approved two mega projects – the Sepang Water City and the Bagan Lalang Gold Coast – to develop the Bagan Lalang beach area into a major tourist spot.

''The development will be divided into two phases. The first phase will be carried out by a company called Aras Puncak, while the second phase will be developed through a joint venture between CNI International and the state investment arm Permodalan Negeri Selangor Berhad (PNSB),'' he said.

Mohd Arif said the development would see the construction of a theme park, restaurants, cultural bazaar, hotels and even a copy of Venice’s canal system.

''The area’s traditional fishing villages will be incorporated in the development plans and promoted for tourism.

''There are also plans to reclaim over 400ha of land along the Bagan Lalang beach for development,'' he said, adding that the project was not only expected to benefit local businesses flourish but also trigger large housing developments and other projects.

Mohd Arif said the two projects would put more international attractions within the Sepang district apart from the KL International Airport and the Sepang F1 Circuit.

Mohd Arif said the there parties involved in the development of the tourism city were currently holding discussions with the State Economic Development Unit (UPEN) to finalise the development plans.

He said the council was keen to hold talks with the developers involved as soon as possible in order to get a clearer picture of the development that would take place.

''We have scheduled a meeting for the first week of May and hope to have a full briefing on the project then.

''We have been made to understand that the development will touch some privately-owned land and if we can identify those involved we will be able to help settle the acquisitions fast and without any hitches,'' said Mohd Arif who is also the Sepang District Officer.

He said land acquisition within the development area would come under the District Office’s jurisdiction and it was important to speak to those involved quickly to ensure that they understood the issue in order to avoid any speculation and rumours.

Mohd Arif said the council and the district office would give their fullest co-operation to see the project take off as proposed in Oct this year.

Source : The Star  28/4/2003