www.ipohecho.com.my JUNE 1 DEADLINE If you want to continue receiving the Ipoh Echo every fortnight with your daily newspaper, please IPOH inform your newsvendor. echoYour Voice In The Community See box on the right. echo May 16-31, 2010 PP 14252/10/2010(025567) FREE COPY ISSUE 97 rom 1st June please inform your news vendor to deliver the >> Pg 3 >> Pg 4 FIpoh Echo every fortnight if you wish to continue receiving your community paper. We are still a free paper. To help us defray PROTECTING THE LET’S NOT REMAIN INNOCENTS our distribution costs, we’re asking you, dear reader, to pay your A BACKWATER news vendor 30¢ per issue for delivery, i.e., a cost of 60¢ per month. A small sum for you to keep up with the latest news and information of your Ipoh community. Thank you for your continuing support of the Ipoh Echo – Your Voice of the Ipoh Community. ARE WE ASHAMED OF IPOH’S GLORIOUS PAST? By Jerry Francis “City That Tin Built” – about sums up the history of Ipoh and its heritage. These four words are also an effective slogan to promote the city. Not “Bougainvillea City” or by any other slogans. On May 27 Ipoh will celebrate its 22nd anniversary as a city. But it is sad that through all those years nothing seems to have been done to reflect its glorious past as the centre of the tin mining industry which had been so significant in the economic development of the country. The tin mining industry has since collapsed; the history of the city will also slowly fade away and be forgotten. Look around us. What is there to reflect the tin mining industry? Why can’t the city become one big monument of the tin mining industry in the country which can be both educational as well as a tourist attraction? Are we ashamed of the city’s past? Continued on page 2 2 May 16-31, 2010 IPOH ECHO Your Voice In The Community A CITY NOT LIVING UP TO ITS STATUS poh is also not a city by bus, train and air. declared a city, it was a Jalan Bukit Ijust living on past Taxi service in the city vibrant town and a play- Bintang KL glory but is very much is equally bad. The driv- ground for the rich, with In contrast to alive with natural attrac- ers have been stubbornly more posh cars in a one Jalan Sultan tions and some beautiful refusing to use taxi-meters kilometre radius than any- Idris Shah, architecture, such as the and will charge at least where in the country. Ipoh. Railway Station, Town RM7 for just a short dis- It was also reputed as Hall and High Court. tance. one of the cleanest towns It is surrounded by Perhaps Ipoh must in the country with pot- Note wide pedestrain pavements on either side and beautiful limestone out- start planning a Light Rail ted flower plants located lovely palm trees. Also no parking on either side crops with fascinating cave Transit (LRT) system for in strategic places and temples and as well as pro- the city centre and its satel- even hanging from street ducing some iconic prod- lite towns from now on. lamp-posts. There were ucts, among them pomelo, Although traffic in the well maintained pub- white coffee and taugeh city is not as chaotic as in lic parks, Taman D.R. which have become well- Kuala Lumpur, city plan- Seenivasagam, People’s known abroad. ners must look into it very Park, Children’s Park and Yet, what have we seriously as traffic conges- the Japanese Garden. done to boost tourism in tion is imminent. Already Now, many of the the city? The typical com- traffic jams are becoming buildings in the old city ment from many people is regular occurrences. centre are empty, con- “what can the city offer?” demned or abandoned, It is useless for us to Cleanliness and painting a gloomy picture. Note narrow pavements on either side and cars parked plus bulky planter boxes lament the failure of the Beautification city’s attractions and just Perhaps one of the first Bleak Future Drives crossing between the Old reopen for businesses.” in both new and old town fold our arms and watch things to do is for the City Away Traders and New Town sectors is He said covered pe- sectors. each City Day pass by Council to spruce up the Those traders along the two not planned and facilitated destrian walkways, con- Just looking at the without fanfare and ex- city with beautification main streets – Jalan Sultan for pedestrians. necting the old and new numerous condemned and citement. Those who care projects. At this moment Iskandar Shah (Hugh Low The City Council has, town sectors at the bridges abandoned buildings and and are in a position to there is no project worth Street) and Jalan Sultan instead, allowed food- in Jalan Sultan Idris Shah vacant business premises help promote the city need mentioning. Instead, what- Idris Shah (Brewster stalls to erect permanent and Jalan Sultan Iskandar in the old city centre is to come forward by par- ever beautification we Road), once the business structures on pavements Shah, also need to be con- enough to scare away any ticipating and contributing have, such as fountains hub of the old city centre, endangering the life and structed to protect pedes- potential investors. It will ideas. and gardens, are being ne- are too old to continue and limb of pedestrians. trians from rain and sun. not take long before the glected. And the rubbish their children are not keen This would encourage city deteriorates further Public Transport is everywhere. Lack of an to take over because of the Wider Pavements motorists to park their cars and be like a ghost mining Critical efficient rubbish collec- bleak future. to Induce Business somewhere between the town, rather than a vibrant Though Ipoh has grown tion scheme has resulted If the City Council Activities two sectors and walk. city. from a sleepy hollow on in thousands of illegal rub- does not focus its attention Among the suggestions to What is happening The City Council must the banks of Sungai Kinta, bish dumps all over the on rejuvenating the old induce business activities now, motorists would drive enforce whatever regula- in size covering 643sq.km, city. Frequently, buffaloes city centre within the next to the old city centre is to their destinations even a tions to get property own- new commercial areas and and cows are still seen in decade, more and more to have wider pavements short distance away, result- ers to redevelop their com- suburban towns have in- the city, obstructing traffic, business premises will pull along Jalan Sultan Idris ing in more vehicles mov- mercial premises rather creased the population to messing roads with dung, down their shutters and Shah, like those in Bukit ing about in the city centre than giving excuses, such over 750,000. However it damaging flower plants move to new commercial Bintang in Kuala Lumpur. causing traffic congestion. as the owners could not be still lags behind other cit- and fruit trees in housing areas. The parking bays on both “Ipoh City Council traced. ies in the country in terms estates. According to some sides of the street can be needs to hold a brain- A big contrast to of public amenities. For In fact, ever since leading businessmen in sacrificed for the wider storming session for its when Ipoh was just a example, bus services in Ipoh was declared a city the city, there seem to be pavements and yet wide councillors to come up Municipality under the the city needs to be ur- it has deteriorated rapidly a lack of enthusiasm from enough for three-lane traf- with plans to rejuvenate control of the People gently overhauled so that it probably because it was the City Council to induce fic. the city,” said a business- Progressive Party (PPP). A will be the choice mode of accorded in the wake of redevelopment. “Allowing cars to park man located in the old city councillor would be on the transport for the residents, the collapse of the tin min- The city is also not along the streets will not centre. roster daily to deal with the as well as tourists arriving ing industry. Prior to being pedestrian-friendly. Even generate business activi- “The collapse of the problems of the ratepayers. ties, but wider pavements tin mining industry and Others were tasked with do,” commented Dato’ as well as the subsequent various duties to ensure ef- Chin Lean Choong, a min- recessions in the country, ficiency. er turned entrepreneur. have begun the city’s dete- The City Council is “The wider pavements rioration.” now headed by a Mayor. can connect with the Kinta There are 23 councillors, Riverbank’s project and A City Centre of each in charge of a zone, thus encourage the resi- Swiftlets’ Hotels but are they effectively dents to walk. As more and Eventually more swiftlet inspecting their respective more pedestrians move hotels will take over the zone and are accessible to about, the business premis- business premises. Already the residents? es along Jalan Sultan Idris the annoying recorded Shah will find it viable to chirpings are clearly heard Get your FREE copy of the Ipoh Echo from: Canning Gdn: Ariff Store, 40 Jalan Lee Kwee Foh. New Wing Fook Merchant, 56 Jalan Lee Kwee Foh. Lourd Enterprise, 7 Lorong Cecil Rae. Ipoh Gdn: Muhibah Hair Stylist, 103 Jalan Dato Lau Pak Khuan.