Kuala Terengganu, Malaysia: Two years ago, the state government allocated RM8 million (S$3,340,000) to turn Pulau Bidong, a former Vietnamese refugee camp, into a recreational tourist island.

The promise was that by the third quarter of last year, the island would become the latest product for Visit Terengganu Year.

The state is way into Visit Terengganu Year, and the result -- zilch.

Vietnamese-American visitor Scott Huynh was dismayed during a recent visit here although he was not aware of the promise made by the state government.

"It's quite sad. It's like a forest. The island had temples and a church. A museum would be in order.

"If it wasn't for Bidong, we wouldn't have a life," he told the New Straits Times.

A source said the only work done after the announcements was measurement and drawing of the layout of the camp.

"Some repeat tourists who visit Bidong are frustrated that the project is taking so long.

"Even local people are shocked to see that nothing had been restored.

"The restoration of Bidong is essential for tourism," the source said.

Ping Anchorage managing director Alex Lee said it was a shame that what was promised for the island never materialised, although it had been promoted as a heritage island.

This apathy, he said, was akin to killing the goose that lays the golden egg as about 500 to 1,000 Vietnamese visit the island every year.

"To be fair, there has been some conservation efforts, but it is not enough," he added

There are more than three million Vietnamese boat people around the world and it's a good market to tap into, Lee said.

The boat people are Vietnamese who fled to Terengganu after the fall of Saigon in 1975 and settled on the 250ha island, which was dubbed "Little Saigon".

It is estimated that about 250,000 Vietnamese lived on the island over a 16-year period.

The settlement was closed in 1991 after the majority of the Vietnamese either returned to their country or were resettled in other countries