KUCHING, August 24: Kuching city will soon have a must-see-attraction in the form of a “singing fountain” that is similar to the one in Dubai and Singapore.
Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg said it would be built in front of the State Legislative Assembly Complex, and the whole idea is to transform Kuching Waterfront into a more vibrant place, complete with the 335m-long S-shape pedestrian bridge over Sungai Sarawak.
“This will become a must-visit place for visitors as well as those who come here for conferences,” he told a press conference after launching the 9th Anak Sarawak Awards in conjunction with Business Events Tribal Meet (TriBE 2018) at a hotel here today.
On the Heart of Borneo (HoB)’s initiative, Abang Johari believed the three partners — Sarawak, Brunei and Kalimantan (Indonesia) — could jointly attract more businesses to Borneo Island, particularly in the tourism industry.
The HoB Initiative is a transboundary effort between the trio to enable conservation and sustainable development that improves the welfare of those living on the island while minimising deforestation, forest degradation and the associated loss of biodiversity and ecosystem services. It comprises approximately 30 per cent of Borneo’s total land mass and covers more than 22 million hectares of tropical rainforest across the three countries.
“The HoB is an initiative shared by Brunei, Indonesia and Malaysia. I thing that’s the way for us to promote ourselves through a common initiative. And it works very well,” he beamed.
Abang Johari added that Sarawak could benefit further from this initiative, especially in the wellness sector, which is a new terminology for health tourism.
“Sarawak’s private sector has invested a lot in building up private hospitals,” he said.
On the Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia and Philippines-East Asia Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA), he said Sabah would tilt more towards this sub-regional economic pact, while Sarawak would lean more towards HoB.
“The problem with BIMP-EAGA is that you are working with the Philippines (Mindanao). Sabah is nearer to them, but we are nearer to Kalimantan. In the context of BIMP-EAGA, we are still working together, but for us it will be more towards HoB,” he stressed. — DayakDaily
