Giatmara Kapit asked to vacate former State Complex building
KAPIT: The Giatmara Kapit skills training centre had been asked to vacate the former State Complex building here by the middle of the year, said Democratic Action Party ( DAP) Sungai Kapit chairman Teng Mee Hieng.
According to him, the buildings would be demolished for the construction of a hotel.
“Recently I visited the Giatmara skills training centre housed at the former State Complex building. Through conversation with the Giatmara skills trainers, I was told that they received the letter sometime earlier in February 2019 to vacate the place within six months.
“The buildings, comprising State and Kapit District offices, are to be dismantled to give way for the construction of a hotel,” he told a press conference yesterday.
Teng questioned why it was necessary to demolish the buildings, which were still in good condition.
“A lot of locals, they approached me saying that the former office buildings should not be dismantled. Let Giatmara skills training centre continue to use the premises for skills training purposes. Currently the two courses offered are the short-term course for motorcycle repairs for six months and welding for one year,” he said.
“Why dismantle the buildings which are still in good condition? It has the purpose to house Giatmara to provide skills training for our youth. The issue now, where to locate Giatmara as renting shop lots is not suitable at all.”
Teng appealed to the Sarawak government not to convert the land for commercial purposes.
“Urban expansion should reach out to the outer ring of old Kapit town at Bletih or Selirik,” he suggested.
“The surroundings are the green space of Kapit town. Already the Kapit field next to the Kapit Civic Centre now for commercial shop lots. The last piece of green land with trees, bamboo, etc is to be destroyed. So, Kapit town will be just concrete buildings. Is that the balanced development friendly to the environment?”