Batu Kawa Riverbank Park project Phase 3 expected to complete before CNY, reveals Deputy Premier

Dr Sim (fifth left) and others in a group photo during a site visit to the Batu Kawa Riverbank Park. Photo credit: Datuk Amar Dr Sim Kui Hian/Facebook

KUCHING, Jan 7: Phase 3 of the Batu Kawa Riverbank Park project is anticipated to be finished before the Chinese New Year celebration next month, as stated by Sarawak Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Dr Sim Kui Hian.

Dr Sim, who is also Batu Kawa assemblyman, mentioned that Phase 3 (connecting Phase 1 and Phase 4) will include various recreational facilities such as skateboarding, pickleball court, pétanque court, table tennis, and a 3×3 basketball court. Additionally, there will be bus and car parking, as well as a staircase connecting to the shops on the hills.

“The different phases of Batu Kawa Riverbank Park project are due to funding from different sources (a skill I learned during my decade of service in the Ministry of Health Malaysia) and it having recreational facilities for different age groups,” he said in a post on his official Facebook Page today.

Furthermore, according to him, two other project phases, Phase 1 and Phase 2, have been completed, namely the eight-story ‘Sky Window’ building and the walkway connecting to the Batu Kawa old town, both of which were funded by the State government.

Meanwhile, Phase 4 involved children’s recreational facilities, and Phase 5 involved a riverbank protection project along Kampung Rantau Panjang and Kampung Sinar Budi Lama funded by the Sarawak Department of Irrigation and Drainage (DID).

Dr Sim, who is also the Minister for Public Health, Housing, and Local Government (MPHLG) Sarawak, highlighted that the Sarawak Financial Secretary has already appointed a consultant for the construction of a glass bridge at the park and DID Sarawak is the implementing agency for the construction.

“Once this final piece is in place, the rakyat will be able to stroll along the three to four-kilometre-long Batu Kawa Riverbank Park from old town to kampung. The children will have their playgrounds and the teenagers will have the recreational game facilities, hence a park for all ages,” he added.

The Deputy Premier further expressed optimism that once the Batu Kawa Riverbank Park project is finished, it will not only function as a recreational park but also become a popular tourist destination, similar to Kuching Waterfront. — DayakDaily