Completion of Sibu’s Permai Lake Park’s first phase upgrade delayed by a week

SIBU (Dec 28): The RM3.38 million Permai Lake Park phase one upgrade, which was due to be completed yesterday, is now expected to take another week.

Sibu Municipal Council (SMC) chairman Clarence Ting said he was disappointed the contractors did not finish the project within the stipulated time frame.

“This project was supposed to be ready yesterday, and because yesterday there was a full monthly SMC meeting, then I only had a chance to visit the project today,” he told reporters.

The first phase upgrade, which began in October 2022, involves the addition of a 3km bicycle track and the upgrading of the pedestrian track.

“When finished, Permai Lake Park will be the only public park in Sarawak that has three kilometres of tracks,” he said.

The second phase, costing more than RM4 million for upgrades to facilities at the 29.5-acre lake park, is scheduled to begin next year.

SMC is planning to turn the lake park into a science park for children as well as to build more parking spaces.

Separately, the Permai Lake Garden costing RM700,000 will have 14 stalls and a mini-stage when completed.

“This Permai Lake Garden is scheduled to be completed in August next year (2024), but we are trying to get it ready before the Gawai Dayak festival,” Ting said.

He said Permai Lake Garden was previously abandoned and not used properly.

“Therefore, we are transforming the existing site into a special Permai Lake Garden for the Dayak community here,” he said.

The project was scheduled to start on Jan 1, 2024, but Ting said contractors began work on Dec 15.

With the construction of Permai Lake Garden specifically for the Dayak community, Sibu will have hawker centres for traders from all communities.

Currently there is Taman Selera Harmony at Jalan Awang Ramli Amit for the Malay-Melanau community, while the Muhibbah Taste Garden at Jalan Dr Wong Soon Kai is for Chinese traders.