‘Padungan to be a happening place again soon’
KUCHING: Padungan will be revamped into becoming a more ‘happening area’ with Kuching South City Council (MBKS) and Padungan Area Committee (PAC) working together to realise this goal.
PAC advisor Datuk Lily Yong said the Padungan area would be revived by all parties working together and capitalising on the area’s status of being the ‘Golden Triangle of Kuching City’.
“It is shameful that Padungan is being left out of the tourism loop when the government is talking about tourism and development in the city,” Yong told reporters here yesterday.
She said over the past 10 years or so, there had been no fund being channelled into Padungan, apart from those allocated for drain-flushing and lighting maintenance.
This was why the PAC was formed last month – to get the community involved in developing Padungan, touted as ‘the rice bowl’ for the business community and also the residents there, said Yong.
“So we are meeting the mayor today (yesterday) to talk about some issues, development and the future of Padungan. We are working as a team with Sarawak United People’s Party (Kuching branch) to see how things can be done.”
Yong, who is also SUPP Kuching chairperson, said PAC was set up by SUPP Kuching, set to involve all businesses along Jalan Padungan, including those at Abell Road and Song Thian Cheok Road.
PAC is run by its chairman Lucas Yong, vice-chairman Oscar
Choo, secretary Angel Teo and treasurer Kueh Kui Hua.
Meanwhile, Mayor of Kuching South Dato Wee Hong Seng, said he was pleased to work with PAC because there was already a 50 per cent success rate in terms of working with community engagement.
“I am sure that the people living and doing businesses here would put in their best to make sure Padungan is alive again.
With the presence of SUPP Kuching in the city hall, they should be able to push things forward.”
According to Wee, Padungan is the heart of MBKS, which has over 90 years of history.
He also said the Chief Minister recently announced a five-year development master plan to transform Kuching City.
On another note, Wee said they would start ‘spring cleaning’ works on the back lanes of shophouses and also some repair works next week as an initial step towards reviving Padungan to its glory days.
He said with the back lanes and sidelanes fixed, businesses would have two frontages that would benefit their trades.
“I hope shop owners could support us in order to achieve our target. We cannot solely depend on the authorities.”