Project to turn old Sarawak Legislative Assembly building into a cultural centre to begin this year

KOTA SAMARAHAN - The project to redevelop the old building of the Sarawak State Legislative Assembly in Petra Jaya, Kuching into a cultural performance centre or Istana Budaya Sarawak is expected to start in the second half of this year.

Sarawak Minister of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts, Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said that the project is currently in the final stage of preparations to start and the contractor has also been identified.

"The cost, if I'm not mistaken, is more than RM200 million for the entire (upgraded) complex," he told reporters after attending the 2nd edition of the Borneo Illustration & Creative Festival (BIC2) here today.

According to him, the project is expected to take two years to complete and needs to be done carefully in stages due to the relatively old structure of the building which is about 50 years old.

He said previously there were some changes that needed to be made in the planning of the project because the consortium companies involved had joined together to present three work proposal papers for upgrading the project to Sarawak Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg.

"The Sarawak Premier likes it and after the Public Works Department (JKR) determines the price, I think the project award letter will be given (this year)," he added. - BERNAMA