KUCHING: More than a thousand lanterns will light up the old quaters of the city to welcome 2014 a few days before New Year.
This latest initiative which is a joint effort of the public and private sector is the brainchild of Kuching City North Commission (DBKU) and the business operators of the area.
The India Street Pedestrian Mall community and the operators of Kai Joo Lane agreed to contribute 400 lanterns to decorate their areas, while Plaza Merdeka will come up with between 500 to 600 lanterns to hang around its compound.
Kuching City Centre Community Association has also been approached to put up another 500 lanterns to light up Gambir street and the Esplanade.
“We don’t want this part of Kuching to be only a heritage area. We want it to be a vibrant business area which can continuously draw more people to come. In order for it to happen, the business communities here must do their part.
“So lighting up Kuching old town is a joint effort between DBKU whose job is to help us to hang up all the lanterns, the private sector including business communities here and Merdeka Plaza as well the people, whose job is to come and take part,” said Commission Member of DBKU Datuk Wee Hong Seng on Thursday.
He added that the vision of DBKU was make north Kuching a clean, beautiful and safe place.
To achieve this goal the Commission had held several dialogues with the business community in the area.
“This will be the first project where the public and the private sector as well as the people join hand to make things happen. And if it is successful, we hope it can become a model for other parts of Kuching,” said Wee.
Wee believed that times had changed and business operators must keep pace with the change or they would be left behind. Citing India Street Pedestrian Mall as an example, he said the community there has been making changes to maintain the vibrancy of the thoroughfare.
“By August next year, after Hari Raya, the project of building a roof over India Street Pedestrian Mall will start. For the next few weeks, we will be receiving feedback from the business community.
“We need to iron out details such as the possibility of uniform signboards to give the area a clean facade,” said Wee.
He said basically, the new India Street after the makeover would reflect the 1Malaysia concept where all cultures would be incorporated in its design and decorations.