A ‘jungle’ for tourists at Kuching’s Main Bazaar

OUR beloved Sarawak is currently experiencing a robust recovery in its tourism industry, nearly reaching the pre-pandemic level.

Year-to-date, we have already welcomed over 2.5 million visitors, putting it firmly on track to meet the 2026 target of five million.

For the whole of 2025, we had just fallen short by 20,000 of this magic figure.

We can only pray and hope that the war in the Middle East would not be long and protracted; otherwise, it would certainly affect the tourists from that part of the world from their holiday travel plans.

Fuel increases too would lead to airline fare hikes, and other political uncertainties would dampen overall air travel.

A rather large percentage of tourists from overseas are attracted to visit Sarawak for its tropical weather, its jungles and beaches, wildlife and nature, as well as to experience its colourful cultures and culinary delights.

Within an hour’s drive in any direction from Kuching, visitors can get into a real jungle, which is a pretty unique attraction.

However, what I was recently told by those in the tourism industry was that there was ‘a different kind of jungle’ right within our city limits – and that it could be found along the Main Bazaar!

Some of them suggested that I took a stroll down the heritage area during normal trading hours.

They were keen to gauge my reaction to the state of the city’s main tourism thoroughfare: namely along the Main Bazaar, Courthouse Road, Carpenter Street, China Street and Ewe Hai Street.

I did just that on Thursday morning.

Truth be told, it had been a while since I last walked along the entire length and breadth of this historical old stretch of heritage shops.

Normally, I would just drop off my visitors or friends who had wanted to go there.

There must be close to 100 old shops along the Main Bazaar, of which I could estimate at least half are selling wares and items primed for the tourists or travellers.

Most of the products on sale are virtually similar to each other’s offerings: be they touristy textiles, shirts and dresses, caps and other headwear, luggage and travel gears, or edibles like sago biscuits, Kek Lapis, or bird’s nest drinks.

These old shops tend to be very narrow in front and extremely long as the average ones that I’ve seen would be having a 20-foot entrance with a 150-foot lengthy interior hall leading right to the end, usually back-to-back with another shop at Ewe Hai or Carpenter Street.

Their five-foot ways for the customer would usually be just that, about five feet wide and if you’re walking two-abreast, you’d have to make way for any oncoming human traffic.

Yet, the majority of the shopkeepers seem to be purposely ignoring this plight of the browsing tourists, as a high proportion of them are in the habit of placing their goods for sale on, around and above this tiny space of the public walking space.

On a crowded day, it’s virtually impossible to pass through without rubbing, brushing or ‘asking the excuse’ of some other person blocking the public right of way.

Many would find it simpler to just use the roadside to get around the human traffic jam along the five-foot way!

If you’re taller than 180cm (five feet, 10 inches), you’d also find it awkward as you have to avoid all the merchandise for sale dangling over you, suspended from the ceiling or protruding from the sidewalks.

For those with disability, there’s a double jeopardy as they have to avoid all the extra tables, chairs and displays encroaching onto the walkway, as well as determine if the ground is level or not.

The entire Main Bazaar five-foot walkway has many levels with different surfaces, which can prove to be rather hazardous for the uninitiated.

Actually, all this is strictly prohibited under local authority by-laws and the Buildings Ordinance 1994, as the shop-owners are required to keep these areas clear for pedestrians.

Obstructions include illegal extensions, permanent structures, goods, tables, chairs or kitchen utensils placed by the operators on the walkway.

The primary purpose of the law is to protect the pedestrians from traffic, weather and other hazards.

The council enforcers have warned those offenders many times in the past not to treat the five-foot way as private profit space, in view of them being public pathways.

Aesthetically, it also defeats the purpose of what is considered a heritage tourism attraction with many historical interests, as it degrades the overall appearance into a cheap-looking ‘pasar malam’ (night market) look with the display of mass-produced low-end merchandise on sale not quite befitting of a city of our status.

Kuching South Mayor Datuk Wee Hong Seng has this to say about the matter: “We are not stopping anyone from doing business inside their premises.

“But once you extend illegally and block walkways, people are forced to walk on the road.

“On five-foot ways that space is for public use, not for private profit.”

Both Kuching North City Commission (DBKU) and Kuching South City Council (MBKS) have been conducting their campaigns on enforcing these by-laws and for brief periods, there might be some clean-ups and the five-foot ways would return to what they should be.

But such appearances are short-lived; once the fervour of enforcement goes lax, out the extra pushcarts, displays, tables and chairs, and hangers again.

I would like to end with a quote from Lao Tzu about ‘the greater good’: “The highest good is like that of water.

“The goodness of water is that it benefits the ten thousand creatures; yet itself does not scramble, but is content with the places that all men disdain.”