OFFICIATING: Taib (centre) touches the crystal ball to officiate at the event. Also seen are (from left) Daud, Abdul Karim, Wahap, Asfia, Wong, Ragad and Chan (right).
KUCHING: Kuching will certainly remain a green garden city even when it celebrates its 50th anniversary of being a city in 25 years time.
Chief Minister Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud said while the city was developing the government had always placed emphasis on preserving nature to ensure that it will one day become the most liveable and beautiful city not only in this region but also the world.
“In the next 25 years when Kuching celebrates its 50th anniversary as a city I believe Kuching will still be a green garden city stretching from Santubong all the way to Mile 7, complete with beautiful buildings that depict the character of the people of Kuching,” he said.
In addition, he said, Kuching is rich in legacies which will be preserved through the establishment of a legacy square that will encompass an area from Kelab Golf Sarawak (KGS) in Petra Jaya up to the Kuching Civic Centre on the other side of Sarawak River.
“Within this legacy square, we hope to put an introduction to the kind of people we are by our buildings, towns, charming old fashioned shops and also historical buildings around us that depict our history and the new ones that roughly describe our success. All these things will have the centrepiece in a new museum,” he said.
On the part of the state government, he said it will emphasise the development of Kuching residents, culturally as well as economically and politically, in order to remind them of their character.
“This is the job of the museum for the next 10 years,” he said, reiterating that the state government had decided to put aside RM100 million for the development of a new museum to be sited at the same location with the present Dewan Tun Abdul Razak near Padang Merdeka.
“This museum will become the main introduction to anybody who visits Kuching to see how we have progressed from one era to another while preserving the harmony that we have,” he said.
Taib stated this when launching Kuching’s 25th anniversary celebration as a city at the State Indoor Stadium in Petra Jaya here yesterday.
When met after the ceremony, Taib told reporters that the architecture of the proposed new museum, which is now being worked on, will depict a new Kuching.
“The architecture will symbolise the new Kuching but will be harmonious with the rest of the surrounding areas.
“What we want to see is that the new museum and the DUN (State Legislative Assembly) building will be connected somehow or the other and we also want to emphasise the oneness of the city by the bridge that we are going to launch sometime this year,” he said.
The chief minister added that the most beautiful part of Kuching in the future will be the waterfront with Sarawak River becoming the focal point for both sides of the city to reflect the background of the city which had been depending heavily on river in the past.
“It will also tell you that Kuching city is a city that can link two banks at one time, which is not an easy thing that many cities tend to have with one side more developed and the other side not developed,” he noted.
He foresaw that the northern part of the city would have fewer buildings but instead have more recreational facilities.
“This is the type of future Kuching that we want to see. Not only developed in terms of infrastructures but the most peaceful, beautiful and cleanest city in the world because once we have achieved this status it will not only make us proud but more and more people from outside will come to see our place,” he said.
He said all these, however, would not be possible without the commitment and cooperation of the people themselves, especially the mayors of both Kuching North City Commission (DBKU) and Kuching South City Council (MBKS) as the implementers.