Spruce Up Melaka for VMY2007

Move to beautify Malacca for tourism
By THOMAS TAN

SPRUCE up the historical city for Visit Malaysia Year 2007.

Building owners should repaint their buildings, especially if their properties are in tourist spots, urged Malacca Housing, Local Government, Environment and Transport Committee Chairman and state MCA chief Datuk Wira Poh Ah Tiam.

Poh, who predicted that six million tourists would visit Malacca next year, said the city had to look clean and beautiful for the visitors.

“The people should also take part in our effort to beautify the city,” he said, adding that the state spent millions monthly for beautification and maintenance works.

The city council spent RM600,000 and RM150,000 for the maintenance of landscapes and street lamps respectively, RM300,000 for plants and fertiliser, RM150,000 to upkeep roads and drains under the council and RM150,000 for roads under the state Public Works Department, while RM1.7mil is paid to Southern Waste Management for rubbish disposal, cleaning up drains and cutting grass.

Poh, who launched a programme to spruce up buildings by repainting them for Visit Malaysia 2007 at Padang Nyiru recently, said a total of 117 events had been planned to welcome tourists throughout the year.

In view of this the council had taken measures to upgrade existing landscapes and add more recreational spots in the city, he said.

Datuk Bandar Datuk Zaini Md Nor called on private companies to sponsor the repainting programme like what the KCC Paint company did.

“Companies that sponsor paint will be allowed to put up billboards to advertise their services and products on high rise buildings,” he said.

KCC Paint sponsored RM20,000 worth of paint to repaint the century-old shophouses in Jalan Laksamana.

KCC Paint assistant marketing manager Anthony Han who presented two cheques to the city council said they were glad to be part of the the project.

Poh, who was at the launch ceremony on behalf of Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam said the city council hoped that individual building owners would take similar action to paint their buildings, especially those situated in the tourism spots.

Source : Star
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