Down empty corridors: Kuching's ‘abandoned' malls

Borneo Post

04-07-2025

A view of Hock Lee Centre at Jalan Padungan in Kuching – only a few retailers still operate within this shopping complex.
IT was in August 1965 that Kuching's very first shopping mall had opened.
It was Electra House, right in the middle of the town, facing the popular Open Air Market.
It was a three-storey complex and had been designed by two Singapore architects Swan and Maclaren, and named after Kuching's first and tallest electric power station in 1922.
It had housed dozens of retail shops – from Sarawak's own homebrand Ngiu Kee, to businesses like watch dealers, boutiques, photo shops, and specialty stores.
There were also fast-food outlets as well.
On the higher levels were the offices of Sesco, and the Borneo Housing Corporation, while a fine-dining French restaurant 'Le Coq Dor' operated at the rooftop.
It was a roaring success and had attracted Kuching's growing population till in 1981, when Kuching Plaza made its debut just across the Central Padang (now Padang Merdeka) next to the then-Aurora Hotel (where Merdeka Palace Hotel and Suites stands now).
However, they both managed to survive and indeed, complemented each other – the 'new kid on the block' attracted the then-so-called 'yuppies' and 'middle-class', and the 'old boy' Electra House due to its proximity to the bus station and riverside walk-in traffic from across the river.
Let's fast forward to the present day, some 44 years later.
My column today dwells just on Kuching, from the downtown city centre up to a five-mile radius which, during the pre-1963, was considered within town limits.
I have made a list of what I know with regard to the many dozens of new arrivals in Kuching's retail trade insofar as shopping malls and complexes are concerned, and come up with some names of those who are thriving and doing well.
For every successful mall, there is a counterpart.
First, let's take a look at those that are doing well, and where the crowds of shoppers love to go spend their hard-earned money.
These are the places where I dread to venture on weekends as finding parking space would be a nightmare and queuing up at the cashiers normally take up more time than your actual shopping.
In no real order of popularity, but I guess in proximity to where I am, here's that list: The Spring;
Plaza Merdeka;
Vivacity Megamall;
King's Centre;
Wisma Hopoh;
CityONE Megamall;
Kenyalang Park Commercial Centre;
Tabuan Jaya Commercial Centre;
MJC Commercial Centre, and;
Saradise Kuching.
Also in no order of any particular ranking, here's my personal list of what I deem to be – from my own observation as well as public opinions garnered over recent years – those that are struggling or facing challenging times: Hock Lee Centre;
Wisma Saberkas;
Travilion Kuching;
Aurora Plaza (former Kuching Plaza site);
Boulevard Shopping Mall;
Electra House;
Sarawak Plaza;
Riverside Shopping Complex;
The Hills, and;
ONE Jaya.
What makes one mall more popular than another?
What attracts customers to one complex, but discourages them from another?
It used to be that location, ease of parking, a wide selection of shops and conducive shopping environment were the prerequisites to attract customers.
However, having been pampered and given such an enormity of personal choice, the average consumer today has become more discerning and definitely more savvy to make their own decision.
Having done my own homework and from personal observation over recent developments since the early 2010s, it has become obvious that there are many different categories of shoppers and their demands are all specific to fit in with accommodating to each of their personal convenience.
There would be the typical housewife shopper who would go to her favourite mall, and a particular supermarket, and fill up her trolley with her monthly groceries – they are the ones to not get caught behind at the cashier's counter!
Then there would be the 'discerning shoppers' – usually retired folks or those with plenty of time on their hands.
They will compare prices between retailers. Over a period, they would know who usually displays the lowest prices, or when the promotional offers are on.
There would be the more trendy, up-market customers who do not mind paying a bit more for branded and imported goods, and who want to shop in comfort.
They would prefer to shop at well-anointed supermarkets, with everything available within walking distance of less than half an hour.
After paying for the purchases, a place to sit, drink coffee and enjoy snacks would complete their shopping experience.
In recent years, high-end retailers like Choice, Ta Kiong, Gourmand and have appealed to this latter sector of the market, with some success.
In the middle range would be Emart, Farley, Everwin, EconFresh, Happy Farm, and LePapa.
Then, there are those catering for the mass very-price-sensitive market – these would be Unaco and some of the remaining 'mom-and-pop' grocery stores.
What can be done with all those malls that appear to be struggling and where the corridors are quiet without much foot traffic?
Why are they not attracting the customers?
These are the ones where the vacant lots have not been re-occupied since the last tenant had packed up and left. Many of these have gathered cobwebs.
Many are in need of being refreshed, renovated and even some 're-figuring' – or what in the trade is known as 'rebranding'.
Most of their owners might not want to plough in any more financial investment to do that, in which case, they have to make do with what they have.
However, they simply cannot compete with the newer malls now.
In my personal opinion, Kuching is still short of 'specialist niche' malls, in the same way that in the Singapore of the 1980s had their 'Sim Lim Tower' where high-tech, audio-visual goods and such-likes were their single-themed main attraction.
For a period in Kuching, it had seemed that a few floors of the Wisma Saberkas were packed with shops selling computer goods, and later, smartphones.
Wisma Saberkas at Jalan Tun Abang Haji Openg in Kuching – it has seen better days.
They did particularly well.
It would be nice to have a number of repair shops for computers and devices to be found in one single mall or complex.
I am thinking more in how, as an example, the specialist tailors seemed to have congregated on the top floors of Wisma Hopoh, as well as on the Stutong Community Market.
Our young bright minds whose entrepreneur skills should work overtime, could perhaps come forth with a few brilliant ideas as to how to re-imagine, or convert some of these seemingly abandoned malls into possible new ventures that could attract customer traffic back in again.
I am sure that the management of all those malls, of which names I have mentioned, would be more than happy to take an appointment to discuss and figure out a way forward on utilising whatever empty spaces that they have within their complexes.
It is such a great pity to see so much potentially-attractive business space just being left out there to go unused and underutilised – being left to waste away.
* The opinions expressed in this article are the columnist's own and do not reflect the view of the newspaper. abandoned dying Kuching shopping malls