VVIP guests: (From left) Nelson Tan, Tan Sri Syed Mohd Yusof Syed Nasir, Terengganu Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar, Sultan Abdullah, Sultan Mizan, Chee Kian, Tengku Puteri Seri Lela Manja Tengku Datuk Seri Hajah Nong Fatimah Al-Marhum Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah and Chee Kian’s wife Chan Shiu Shyan.
KUALA BESUT: Growing up as an East Coast boy, Ikhasas Group managing director Tan Chee Kian has made good and built the first five-star resort in Pulau Perhentian, Terengganu, which is set to provide jobs for 480 locals.
Chee Kian said that growing up in Mentakab, Pahang, he noticed there was a lack of quality jobs and that was why youths were leaving the region in search for a better life.
The newly-launched Perhentian Marriott Resort & Spa is nestled within the Perhentian Island Marine Park in Pulau Perhentian Kecil.
“With the Marriott Resort here, all the East Coast children would have better jobs.
“And after months or years of training, the world belongs to them.
“They can go to Singapore, England or other countries, as long as there is a Marriott there.
“If we don’t have proper jobs to train the next generation, I think very soon, the East Coast corridor will become an old folks home or a childcare centre,” Chee Kian said during a press conference after the grand opening ceremony of the Perhentian Marriott Resort & Spa at Pulau Perhentian Kecil yesterday.
He also said there is a potential multiplier effect on the local economy with the launch of the resort, as he had told Perhentian Marriott Resort & Spa general manager Anne Busfield to source food, fruits and drinks from local traders.
“We want to encourage and introduce Malaysian delicacies to the world through Marriott International,” he said.
Chee Kian also said he was touched that the grand opening ceremony was graced by Sultan of Pahang Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah and Sultan of Terengganu Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin.
“Today in the East Coast, history is made. Two Sultans came together to our grand opening ceremony,” he added.
Accompanying Sultan Mizan to the launch was Sultanah of Terengganu Sultanah Nur Zahirah.
During the ceremony, Sultan Mizan signed a plaque to commemorate the hotel’s launch.
Their arrival at the Perhentian Marriott Resort & Spa were received by Chee Kian and Ikhasas executive director Tan Sri Nelson Tan Jyh Yaong.
Meanwhile, Chee Kian highlighted the unique crooked jetty that was constructed at an extra cost in the Perhentian Marriott Resort & Spa in order to avoid a big piece of coral located underneath the seabed.
“A professor from Universiti Malaya told me that I may have lost a million from the crooked jetty, but it will require another million to grow back the coral under the seabed,” he said.
“This was a wake-up call. I think this is the first crooked jetty in Malaysia and this is how we emphasise sustainability to our children.”
YBD Dive Centre is one of few diving schools that offers state of the art facilities such as Enriched Air (Nitrox), Deep Training Pool, Catamaran Dive Vessel and many more.
According to him, students at the YBD Dive Centre will be required to plant a coral at the seabed before graduating.
“It is compulsory and by doing that, we can preserve our marine life and have a better future for our next generation,” Chee Kian said.
The resort construction, which costs about RM400mil, began in 2017 and was fully completed in April 2024.
The Perhentian Marriott Resort & Spa features 200 rooms, 17 villas, three royal villas and various world-class amenities, such as gourmet dining options, a state-of-the-art spa and a variety of recreational facilities.
