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By Shikin Louis
KUCHING, July 28: Sarawak’s Autonomous Rapid Transit (ART) vehicle will be named ‘Bulan’ after one of the three locomotives that used to exist in Kuching during the reign of Rajah Charles Brooke.
Premier of Sarawak Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg said the current Padang Pasir Parking Lot in the city would become an ART station, similar to Kuala Lumpur Sentral station.
“This is because our upcoming ART will be moving from Samarahan to Kuching through Jalan Keretapi (presently known as Jalan Tun Ahmad Zaidi Adruce) where the place used to have three locomotives.
“One of the locomotives was named ‘Bulan’ while the other was named ‘Bintang’.
“Thus, our first ART will also be named ‘Bulan’ except that it is a modern public transport that uses rubber tyres, runs on virtual tracks on dedicated lanes on the road, and uses hydrogen,” he said during the launching of Pertubuhan Anak Seni Bandarsah Kuching’s (PASBK) Community Hall broadcast live by Sarawak Public Communications Unit (Ukas) on Facebook earlier tonight.
For the record, it was believed that the last locomotive was known as ‘Jean’ and the rail transport system once existed during the reign of Rajah Charles Brooke and “disappeared” after the Japanese occupation during the Second World War.
Among those present were Deputy Sarawak Secretary (Economic and Development Planning) Datu Dr Muhammad Abdullah Zaidel, Satok assemblyman Datuk Ibrahim Baki, Tanjung Datu assemblyman Azizul Annuar Adenan, PASBK chairman Abdul Rahman Zainuddin and PASBK advisor Datuk Abdul Karim Tun Abang Openg. — DayakDaily
