KUCHING, Jan 28: Developers and architects in the state are urged to integrate their modern designs with nature in order to not only preserve Sarawak’s environment but also to attract visitors and tourists to come to the state.
Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg said this idea was inspired by his recent visit to the Maldives where modern architecture was integrated with the island’s natural tropical surroundings.
He said this would make an ideal development approach for Sarawak, particularly in Kuching around Bako and Muara Tebas as these areas are still green, and the swampy and peat soil nature of Bako and Muara Tebas would make it very costly to develop in a conventional manner.
“Therefore we need to look at this new approach of development. While we still have these green areas in Kuching, let us not make the same mistakes many developed countries have made.
“We must have balanced development of modern buildings and nature,” Abang Johari said during the Kuching City North Commission (DBKU) Majlis Agenda 2018 (MA2018) Tree Planting event at Muara Tebas here earlier today.
The event saw some 500 participants consisting of members from various cultural and martial arts clubs and organisations, as well as representatives from various developers.
Abang Johari continued, that visitors and tourists from European and Western countries loved the green parts of Sarawak, and hence this would also pique their interest to visit more of the state for a longer duration, and their spending here would in turn boost the state’s economy.
“We have plenty of rain and sunlight, so our trees will grow well very fast. Then we can build our houses and buildings among those trees. This sort of new development approach is different from Europe and the West.
“Tourists and visitors from there will happily come here to experience staying here close to nature.
“We have beaches, mountains, and we will build floating a mosque here in the future, and the kampung areas here we will develop in line with the (natural) ecosystem with no need to demolish the environment around it,” he said.
Meanwhile, DBKU Datuk Bandar Datuk Abang Abdul Wahap Abang Julai explained that the tree planting event was organised as part of the Commission’s effort for its ‘Cantik, Bersih dan Selamat’ (CBS) plan to preserve the green lungs in Kuching City.
“For each tree we cut down in the city, three new ones will be planted to preserve the ecosystem,” he said. – DayakDaily
