The old government quarters at Banglo Road.
KANOWIT: The old government quarters along Banglo Road here will be demolished to make way for more development.
Kanowit District Council (KDC) chairman Katis Noel Nyabong said the wooden quarters were built during the era of Rajang Area Security Command (Rascom) in the 1970s.
“Tender is out now for the project to demolish about 10 buildings. There are more projects for the town included under the 11th Malaysia Plan,” he said during the earth breaking ceremony for a new bus terminal and market here recently.
The function was officiated by Assistant Land Development Minister Datuk Gramong Juna.
It was attended by Sibu Resident Sim Kok Kee, political secretary to the chief minister Maurice Giri, Kanowit police chief DSP Ismail Mahmud and Kanowit Information Department head Wan Mohd Zuki Wan Ismail.
On the new market, Katis said it was to meet the need of the increasing number of traders because the existing market was inadequate.
“The demand for trading space will be more when the Kanowit-Kapit Road is fully completed in 2017.
“Even now, the traffic in the town is always congested especially during weekends,” he said.
The existing market can accommodate less than 70 traders while the new market can cater for 77 traders. The new market would be built at a cost of RM2.5 million and it is expected to be completed in 12 months.
Meanwhile, Gramong in his speech noted that one of the main problems in Kanowit was lack of parking spaces. He said this was probably because the town was not built to accommodate cars in the early days.
“But now there are many cars in the town because people can afford it.
“This means there are better opportunities or some kind of prosperity going on here,” he said.