This article first appeared in The Edge Financial Daily on August 8, 2018

KUALA LUMPUR: Singapore Exchange (SGX)-listed Hatten Land Ltd has unveiled plans to develop a RM200 million water theme park within Melaka’s Harbour City in Pulau Melaka to catalyse the state’s tourism industry.

In a statement yesterday, Hatten Land said the 500,000 sq ft water theme park project, known as Splash World@Harbour City, will be undertaken in collaboration with Samsung C&T Corp and Polin Waterparks.

Expected to be completed by the end of 2019, and be opened to the public in the first half of 2020, Hatten Land targets up to 5,200 visitors a day to the water park. After the first year of operation, the company expects between 850,000 to 1 million visitors annually.

Melaka chief minister Adly Zahari, who witnessed the signing ceremony among the three partners yesterday, said the water park will bring a transformational new dimension to Melaka’s travel and leisure landscape and make the historical city an even more compelling international attraction.

“The impact of this project will resonate beyond tourism to the broader economy, creating new jobs and opportunities for international economic partnerships and even direct investments,” he said.

Hatten Land executive chairman and managing director Datuk Colin Tan said the project proves the company’s commitment to the long-term development of Melaka.

“We are partnering world-renowned leaders in their respective fields — Samsung C&T Corp and Polin Waterparks — to place Melaka on the world map as a must-visit destination. We are grateful to the government of Melaka and the Malaysian authorities for their support of this project,” he said.

Harbour City, which is located on Pulau Melaka, has a total estimated gross development value of RM2.2 billionand spans 4.5 million sq ft in built-up area. It is a themed mixed development that incorporates retail, hospitality and entertainment elements.