BINTANGOR: The upgrading of the Sungai Bintangor waterfront could provide a more suitable venue for Pesta Meradong in the future, allowing the festival to be expanded and organised more systematically.
Tanjong Manis MP Datuk Yusuf Abdul Wahab said the festival’s growth from year to year required a larger space to accommodate increasing numbers of visitors, traders and activities.
He said current constraints involving the site, sales areas and road conditions needed to be addressed if the festival is to be further strengthened.
“We hope that in the future this area can be expanded and we can do something bigger,” he said when speaking at the closing ceremony of Pesta Meradong 2026 here recently.
Yusuf said a more spacious and better-developed riverfront would not only improve visitor comfort but also provide opportunities for more local traders to participate while making Bintangor a more attractive destination.
Meanwhile, Meradong assemblyman Datuk Ding Kuong Hiing said the Sungai Bintangor waterfront upgrading project is now at the final design stage and expected to go to tender by the end of this year.
He said the entire project site had obtained approval from the State Planning Authority (SPA), allowing planning to proceed to the next stage.
“The project is already at the final design stage and we hope it can be tendered by the end of this year. The project may start next year,” he said.
Ding said the project, which is planned to stretch from the area towards the ferry ramp, would help improve the riverfront’s facilities and surrounding environment.
He expressed hope that the design and tender processes would proceed according to schedule so that physical works could begin next year.
The waterfront development, he added, could complement efforts to strengthen infrastructure in Bintangor while supporting the growth of local events such as Pesta Meradong.
