Faceli for KK over next three years
Kota Kinabalu will undergo beau fica on and upgrading over the next two to three years to give the city a faceli and boost its image in the eyes of tourists.
KOTA KINABALU: Kota Kinabalu will undergo beautification and upgrading over the next two to three years to give the city a facelift and boost its image in the eyes of tourists.
For a start, Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Christina Liew has instructed contractors to replace broken pavements with new brick walkways around the shops at Asia City.
She reported that the brick walkways have been completed and beautification works on the landscape would commence next month.
Christina, who is also the Minister of Tourism, Culture and Environment, said another area of night market would be set up soon and the new walkways would make it easier for tourists and the public to walk around the city.
Next, the Api-Api Assemblywoman said she would look into systematically removing concrete canopies in the city.
Liew said she would meet with the Mayor Datuk Yeo Boon Hai, Kota Kinabalu City Hall (DBKK) and shop owners to discuss the removal of concrete canopies.
“We will have a meeting to determine which areas that needs the most (removal of concrete canopies). Some of the concrete canopies in the city is about 40 to 50 years old.”
She said beautification of the city was important but this has been put aside, adding that several areas in her Api-Api state constituency have not been upgraded for a long time.
“As the number of domestic and international tourists grow, we must also improve our image.
“If we are unable to upgrade everything all at once, we shall do it in stages.
“We want to give Kota Kinabalu a facelift in the next two to three years,” she told the media after inspecting the new brick walkways at Asia City here yesterday.
She said such an effort also required the cooperation from DBKK and shop owners.
On a related note, Christina said her ministry would also launch a cleanliness campaign next year.
“We have to teach people to be clean or else we will penalize them.”
For instance, she said her ministry had provided each of the vendors at Api-Api Night Food Market at Gaya Street with dustbins to keep the street clean.
“You have to look after your city, love your city, keep it clean and make the tourists happy,” she urged.
She added that the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Environment took tourism, beautification and cleanliness very seriously.
Christina said efforts to enhance tourism, beautification and cleanliness would be implemented next year with the cooperation of the people, DBKK and shop owners.
She later visited Chong Village in the vicinity of Sunny Garden along Jalan Tuaran to inspect the completed works to repair broken roads and collapsed drains at the village.
She said the repair work was completed in a month.
Christina said the contractors she appointed must complete their jobs on time.
“Besides efficiency, execution of projects must be transparent and speedy.
“Contractors must do a good job because they are using public funds.”