KUCHING: Padungan Street will be rejuvenated with new street lights and murals to attract foreign tourists.
Kuching South City Hall (MBKS) Mayor Datuk Wee Hong Seng said plans are underway to revive the area.
“The lighting of the arch at Padungan Street here will bring back ‘soul’ to Padungan.
“After lighting up the arch, we will upgrade all the street lighting as there are many businesses operating in this stretch of street, and safety is one of the key points.
“We will make improvements in phases and make sure that we are able to bring back what Padungan has lost as it is like the heart of MBKS,” he said when met by the media on Sunday evening (Oct 30).
Also present was Deputy Premier Datuk Seri Dr Sim Kui Hian who performed the light switching ceremony of the Padungan arch.
“Padungan is an old part of Kuching, with almost more than 100 years of history and will undergo a rejuvenation process.
“I want to thank MBKS Mayor (Wee) and the council for putting extra effort and going beyond their job scope despite the limited resources,” said Sim.
Touching on future plans, Wee said the first mural will be shown to the public soon and will be completed within this year with more murals planned for 2023.
He added that MBKS is making more effort to restore the Padungan area to its former glory as the centre of Kuching’s golden triangle, taking advantage of the hotels and places of interests located in the area.
“Bringing foreign tourists will need proper planning and more events, so we (MBKS) will do our best to attract more tourists to this area, including providing historical value to Padungan,” he said.
