He said Pulau Gaya has the quality to become a good tourist attraction but the presence of squatters on the island would not bode well with the plan, Bernama reported.

“The idea has been there for quite some time and the current state government is planning to shift the people who are locals in Pulau Gaya to the mainland.

“Pulau Gaya has a special place in our history and it is located just about a five-minute boat ride from the state capital. We need to leverage on this,” he said at a Ramadan event on the island today.

Hajiji said the Putatan constituency office of deputy chief minister Shahelmey Yahya had plans to build a health clinic on the island.

The chief minister and local leaders later presented school fees assistance to 70 pupils and Haji Raya Aidilfitri contributions to the community.