Christmas Day may be over but Santa is just about to arrive at the Portuguese Settlement in Ujong Pasir.

A RM10mil church project is being proposed for settlement — and it comes as welcome news for the community.

State MCA English Speaking Bu­­reau chairman Chock Choon Sin said that the application for the 6,000-strong Catholic community in the area to have their own church had been submitted to the state recently.

"As a traditional Portuguese village set up some 80 years ago, many residents feel that it is time they had their own church.

"Besides easing the burden for senior citizens having to travel into the city to attend services, a nearby church will help the community preserve its centuries-old religious traditions," he said during a visit to the settlement here recently.

The proposed project will involve the construction of a 600-seat church on a 3ha piece of reclaimed seafront land next to the village, which will also be earmarked as a recreational and green lung area.

The request for a church has been brought up on numerous occasions, including at a forum with former Kota Melaka MP Wong Nai Chee last year.

Village Regedor (headman) Peter Thomas Gomes welcomed the proposal. "Many residents feel that a church should be built here to serve the needs of the community."