SHAH ALAM, June 27 — Businesses are optimistic that the Pantai Morib facelift project, expected to be completed by next month, would restore the number of customers to the beach.
Local traders, who initially expressed concern that business has been slow following the upgrading works, are beginning to feel hopeful about seeing more customers as the facelift project nears completion.
They formed an association two years ago to ensure healthy competition and maintain the continuity of business around Pantai Morib.
Morib Lama Traders Association chairman Raja Zairil Raja Sulaiman, 43, said the visitor numbers have declined by up to 80 per cent since the upgrading works started.
“Since the renovation, we saw the number of visitors drop to 80 per cent. We are just surviving, and only able to persevere until this project is finished,” he told Media Selangor.
Food stall trader Raja Zakiah Raja Sulaiman, 46, said most tourist attractions in Morib are currently centred around the Gold Coast Morib Resort and the beachfront near the commercial area.
“Tourists would typically ask what is special here. More often, I kept telling them to just visit the Gold Coast and if they want to swim, to go to the beach next door,” she said.
Morib Lama Traders Association treasurer Nor Hamizi Zamzam, 34, urged the relevant authorities to address the growing issue of parking constraints.
He added that parking space is sometimes limited due to festivals held in the Pantai Morib parking lots.
“We, the traders at Pantai Morib, sometimes find parking difficult too; wanting to park here and there is no longer allowed.
“When there is an exhibition organised here, they will host it at the parking lot, and that will mean limited parking lots for the traders and vendors as well as for visitors, “ Hamizi said.
Meanwhile, musician Rosli Abd Rahim, 56, hopes to see the beach return to its original lively atmosphere.
He intends to perform there regularly and is currently improving his beach performance.
“I miss it very much after two years. Hope it will be livelier than before, as there will be more attractions and there will be more visitors,” Rosli said.
Beverage trader Azizah Saringat, 62, looked forward to a more sophisticated environment that could attract more tourists and bring more profits for businesses.
“I miss the crowded atmosphere like before. We easily earned a livelihood, and meeting with the customers was a good experience,” she said.
Previously, Media Selangor reported that Pantai Morib is undergoing a RM47 million upgrading and conservation works that are set to revitalise the beach and transform it into a popular tourism destination in the Klang Valley.
The project under the Kuala Langat Irrigation and Drainage Department, which began on September 1, 2023, has entered its final implementation phase of touch-up works, with completion expected on July 1.
