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KUCHING: The Sarawak Tourism and Heritage Ministry will assist shop owners in Gambier Street here, whose pre-war premises were gutted by last night's fire, to renovate the buildings as part of the Kuching Waterfront
expansion project.
Minister Tan Sri Dr George Chan said Dec 23 the ministry's special taskforce would be holding a dialogue with the affected proprietors soon on the possibility of reconstructuring the colonial facade into a tourism centre to
attract tourists.
"This is a good opportunity to turn this disaster into something positive and the government can help to get them back to business as soon as possible," Dr Chan, who is deputy chief minister, told reporters after visiting the kidney dialysis centre here, run by the Sarawak Kidney Association, National Kidney
Foundation and Kuching Rotary Club.
He said such renovated concrete buildings would also serve as fire-breakers compared with the old wooden ones.
The 8.40pm fire destroyed a row of textile, accessories and sundry goods shops as well as a discount store.
Dr Chan said that as part of the Kuching Heritage Trail, Gambier Street could help turn the Kuching Waterfront into a hive of activities, especially with the new state legislative assembly building, dubbed the state's iconic
landmark, on the opposite bank of Sungai Sarawak.
However, he said, there was also a need to spruce up the Kuching Waterfront into a safe place to entice more tourists to come and enjoy the river view.
-- BERNAMA
expansion project.
Minister Tan Sri Dr George Chan said Dec 23 the ministry's special taskforce would be holding a dialogue with the affected proprietors soon on the possibility of reconstructuring the colonial facade into a tourism centre to
attract tourists.
"This is a good opportunity to turn this disaster into something positive and the government can help to get them back to business as soon as possible," Dr Chan, who is deputy chief minister, told reporters after visiting the kidney dialysis centre here, run by the Sarawak Kidney Association, National Kidney
Foundation and Kuching Rotary Club.
He said such renovated concrete buildings would also serve as fire-breakers compared with the old wooden ones.
The 8.40pm fire destroyed a row of textile, accessories and sundry goods shops as well as a discount store.
Dr Chan said that as part of the Kuching Heritage Trail, Gambier Street could help turn the Kuching Waterfront into a hive of activities, especially with the new state legislative assembly building, dubbed the state's iconic
landmark, on the opposite bank of Sungai Sarawak.
However, he said, there was also a need to spruce up the Kuching Waterfront into a safe place to entice more tourists to come and enjoy the river view.
-- BERNAMA
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