Port Dickson, Malaysia - A Wasted Potential

Port Dickson area is spreading along the coast of the Straits of Malacca, southwest of Kuala Lumpur.

It used to be a sleeping resort town that came alive mostly on weekends when people came here as it is the nearest beach to the state capital.

I became acquainted with Port Dickson at the time when I was still living in KL. Recently, I came back to PD - as it is nicknamed - to visit an old friend, who moved here for a quieter and better way of living. The last time I visited PD, was at least 17 or 18 years ago! Needless to say, I was deeply surprised by all the changes after two decades!

But, as it is often the case, the appearance sometimes hides a bitter reality.

Sunset on the Straits of
Malacca

Apart from the town of PD itself, the area has grown tremendously all along the coast. Now, there are some great sandy beaches, well-tended and cleaned. It could easily compare with the Andaman coast of Thailand. Except for the water, due to the fact that the coastline is a mangrove-prone area. Many apartment buildings have been built everywhere. Strangely, there are still not many resorts. So, the first thought is to say ‘Gee whizz, this is amazing!’ but then, you realize that all the beaches are empty and there are no tourists around like in Thailand. 

So the next thought that pops up to your mind is ‘how come this place has not become a hot spot?’

My friend lives up in a fine building with an awesome view on the coast and the water, near the Yacht Club. The building he lives in is almost 20-floor high. The rent is low even

A shaded corner in a cove

for a two-bedroom apartment with two bathrooms, a kitchen and a large lounge opening on a huge balcony facing the bay. So, as we were sitting on the terrace at sunset, the conversation switched on this tremendous potential that seemed unknown. I learned that most of the condominiums had been built to lure Singaporeans into coming here on holidays or weekends. The lack of maintenance seems to have progressively chased away potential buyers as well as current owners. So, even if this was an immense complex, it remained totally deserted! Sure enough, when night came there were less lit apartments than there are fingers on your two hands!

The next day, we drove around the area. I saw entire buildings or resorts facing the sea and yet left totally abandoned! My Malaysian friend explained that the trend was to let buildings decay and crumble rather than having a drastic policy of reconstruction and proper management. 

One may understand that local people and authorities do not wish to see an over-development like in Thailand. But I kept thinking that a lot of retirees like me, would love to live here peacefully if the standards were improved and there existed a clear policy of rehabilitation and embellishment. I thought it was a real shame not to take advantage of such a potential that would definitively improve the life of people and have a clear economic impact. All it would take probably is a clear man-made decision and an effective policy of management….

Garden pond at PD
seafront

On the same day, we also visited the town, which has gone a long way from being a fishing community! It is a town that offers all the modern amenities. But the pervasive atmosphere is one of a second-class provincial town with nothing attractive. They did build a seafront that could be a vibrant place. But the garden is clearly not well-tended, and there is absolutely no bench to sit down anywhere! There is a beautiful Starbucks coffee shop, an alignment of shops, bars, and restaurants but most of them have closed down because they had no business! Even the pond in the garden needed to be cleaned! Once again, I felt it was a total waste and I really felt sorry that it was not being taken care of properly.

In all fairness, there is one site that has the potential to attract people. It is the Grand Lexis, a Five-star hotel, with stilt bungalows on the sea, set to be in the shape of a giant hibiscus. It is supposed to be a Balinese-inspired design. When we went there, the place was almost totally empty because, due to the coronavirus crisis in China, there were no more Chinese tourist groups coming. Each bungalow has its own small swimming-hole on a balcony over the sea. But It is all made of concrete and it is so vast that to get to your bungalow, you need to be chauffeured away with an electric open van. 

I am not certain at all, this is my idea of a tropical holiday!

All that has been done to make PD an attractive place for holiday-makers has seemingly failed. Sadly, because of a lack of human ingeniosity and a failure to maintain, embellish and advertise in a will to attract business and visitors.

Yet, it could undoubtedly become a great attractive place for tourism if only there was a clear will of improvement. This is a green, lush area with some beautiful beaches. Rethinking the lodging facilities, improving the landscape garden design, and improving the transport system could turn PD as another hotspot for worldwide vacationers. KLIA is less than an hour away from PD, making it even easier for visitors to come. Truly, this is wasted potential, a pearl still enclosed in its shell.

Christian Sorand

The Grand Lexis Hibiscus Resort at Port Dickson