Jidin Aris, 70, said the state government’s decision to hand over 42 hectares of land on the island to an international company to build a RM500 million resort was heartbreaking to them.

“I am totally against the idea. Please leave it as it is. The bay is where islanders spend their free time with their families. Tourists also like to come here to enjoy the beach.

“Teluk Keke with a wide open space has been used as a landing site for rescue helicopters for emergencies,” he said when met at Pulau Perhentian on Monday.

Jidin also said residents were concerned that the bay’s ecosystem will be severely affected by the project.

Meanwhile, Pulau Perhentian Residents Association chairman Zainudin Mohd, 53, said the state government should not hand over the state-owned land to third parties for development.

Barisan Nasional’s Besut candidate, Nawi Mohamad, had also urged the state government to listen to the people’s grouses on the matter.

“If you want to build a luxury resort there, do not give the project to a foreign company, because then the area there will be off-limits to locals,” he said.