BY GOH PEI PEI and JACINTHA JOLENE
KUCHING: Residents in Gedong will soon have a new community hall with air-conditioning and equipped with other modern facilities.
Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg said the architectural drawings are ready and the project will be tendered in January next year.
Once the construction begins, he said, it is expected to be completed within 18 months.
“We will have to demolish the current Dewan Datuk Patinggi Ali to make way for us to develop the new building here,” he said.
“There will be an exhibition corridor there and a hall for events and wedding ceremonies. It is similar to the Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK) but on a smaller scale,” he said.
Abang Johari, who is also Gedong assemblyman, was speaking to the reporters after launching the TVS Prihatin programme in conjunction with TVS’ third anniversary at Dewan Datuk Patinggi Ali in Gedong here Saturday (Nov 11).
As for the cost, he said, it would only be announced after the tender process.
With the on-going development progress in Gedong, he said, it is necessary for the constituency to have such a hall to conduct events and functions in a more comfortable environment.
He also said Lubok Punggor in Gedong was one of the locations identified for the hybrid paddy planting project; others were Tanjung Bijat (Sri Aman), Spaoh (Betong) and Tanjung Purun (Lundu).
“We will be using various types of seedlings from Vietnam and new technology that can yield three times more paddy than normal planting methods.
“If we can produce more than what we need, we can venture into the downstream industry, such as producing cookies and bihun (rice vermicelli), which will help to increase our people’s income,” he said.
Also present were the Development Bank of Sarawak Berhad (DBOS) chairman Tan Sri Datuk Amar Mohamad Morshidi Abdul Ghani; Deputy Minister in the Sarawak Premier’s Department (Corporate Affairs and State Public Communication Unit) Datuk Abdullah Saidol; Deputy Minister in Premier’s Department Datuk Jefferson Jamit Unyat; Deputy Minister of Infrastructure and Port Development Aidel Lariwoo; Deputy Minister of Food Industry, Commodity and Regional Development Martin Ben; Ministry of International Trade, Industry and Investment (MINTRED) Advisor Datuk Mohd Naroden Majais, Sarawak Media Group (SMG) executive deputy chairman and chief executive officer Kushairi Abang; New Sarawak Tribune and Suara Sarawak’s chief executive officer (CEO) Datuk Dr Jeniri Amir, who is also the a board member of the Sarawak Media Group (SMG).
