A Barisan Nasional election candidate has pledged to turn the country’s oldest Hainanese village in Terengganu into an eco-tourism destination, should BN win power in the state at the Aug 12 state assembly elections.

According to Khairi Afiq Yusof, the BN candidate for Kemasik, the century-old village in Kemaman has the potential to be a tourist destination and boost the local economy, according to Utusan Malaysia.

He was quoted as adding, "The Hainanese community in Air Jernih presented 10 suggestions, and the proposal to develop eco-tourism in this area was among them."

Khairi added that the area's proximity to an East Coast Rail Link station once it is finished will increase its attraction to tourists.

"Kampung Air Jernih is special in its own right. The Hainanese community in this place still upholds its traditions, particularly among those who speak Malay well and with a Terengganu dialect.

"We can preserve the old buildings here as attractions, just like the Chinese Village in Kuala Terengganu," said Khairi, who is running to unseat two-term assemblyman Saiful Azmi Suhaili (PN-PAS) from the Kemasik district.

The community in Air Jernih is thought to have been founded more than 110 years ago and is known as the largest Hainanese village in Malaysia.

According to reports, the majority of the people are descended from those who sailed from the southern Chinese island of Hainan and settled in Terengganu.

What was once a prosperous hamlet has just approximately 500 residents left after locals started leaving over the years to find jobs and eventually relocated to places like Klang, Tangkak, and Port Dickson.