The Monsoon Cup failed to bring any substantial economic winds of change for the inhabitants of the two Pulau Duyong islands in Terengganu.

As more and more outsiders build lavish houses on the islands, the locals are worried that they will be sidelined.

"The people of Pulau Duyong get nothing. We just look at the rich build their big houses ... people we do not recognise," said Umno Kampung Duyong Besar chief Salim Yunus.

"Last November, all of us went to see the Monsoon Cup (taking place) not far away from our villages. The government people urged all of us to come and watch the big sailboats racing.

"Economically, we got nothing. Maybe one or two of us (made money) by opening keropok and sugar cane stalls," he told malaysiakini.

Pulau Duyong was the main location for the Monsoon Cup, the brainchild of Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, which aim to draw contestants and tourist from around the world.

The project saw the construction of chalets and jetties worth RM200 million on Pulau Duyong Kecil, the smaller of the two islands.

The chalet projects and the race were handled by Equine Capital Bhd owned by real estate giant Patrick Lim (photo: right).

What projects?

Despite development raging all around them, Salim lamented that life for the villagers, a majority of whom are traditional boat makers and fishermen, remained the same.

"What projects?" he exclaimed when asked about this. "If there are more projects, we want the villagers to be given priority. Let us also feel it (the monetary returns)," he said.

However, Salim is convinced that the locals will not receive any benefits if they pinned their hope on the Monsoon Cup alone.

He said if more activities are held on the islands, then the locals can build small cottages and rent them out to the tourists.

Meanwhile, Umno Kampung Pulau Duyong Kecil chief Mohamad Ngah said the government must ensure that the Monsoon Cup and development projects bring benefit to the villagers.

At present, he noted that the locals are only receiving a sprinkling of the returns.

"Pulau Duyong villagers get to work in the chalets and there are those who sell handicrafts to the locals," he said.

However, with hundreds of millions being invested, Ngah said the some 8,000 villagers are hoping for an economic boom.