By Lian Cheng
KUCHING, Jan 4: The Sarawak Rivers’ Board (SRB) is urged to expedite the moving of existing RC Pontoon Wharf near Sibu Eng Ann Teng Tua Peh Kong Temple to give way to the construction of an extension of the Jetty Garden Park, which was approved in July 2010.
Executive director of the Sibu Eng Ann Teng Tua Peh Kong Temple Charitable Trust, Lau Kai Hua said the trust managing the famous Sibu Eng Ann Teng Tua Peh Kong Temple has been waiting for the construction of the extension for more than a decade.
He said the extension was approved by the Sarawak Planning Authority (SPA) as early as 2010 and the trust has set aside the fund to implement the project.
“However, due to the existing RC Pontoon Wharf where the site is overlapping with the extension, we can’t do anything.
“This project has been long overdue and we hope SRB will quickly make a decision on the matter by moving the pontoon concerned out of the way so that we can start the extension project as soon as possible,” Lau told DayakDaily over a telephone interview.
He added that Transport Minister Dato Sri Lee Kim Shin, who had personally come to inspect the pontoon, had agreed to move the structure to a nearby location.
“We have been waiting for more than a decade to get the extension of the park to be constructed. This should not be the case. A small project like this should not be dragged on for such a long time,” he said.
Lau said Sibu Eng Ann Teig Tua Peh Kong has been a tourist attraction for Sibu and every year, there are tourists coming to Sibu just to visit, while others come to pray at the temple.
The extension, which involves pavilions and a pier to be built above that part of the Rajang River and other planned structures, including an arch as well as other beautification features, he believed, will attract more tourists to Sibu. — DayakDaily
