Gone with the wind…

Borneo Post

10-05-2025

The columnist believes that it would be good if the citizens were given the chance to propose what to do with the Kuching Civic Centre building, or the land on which it stands. — Photo courtesy of Edgar Ong
THAT 29-foot long slab of a foreign material (heavy-duty polycarbonate, according to fellow columnist, Edgar Ong of ' Just Another Point of View ' – April 12, 2025), could have landed on the roof of his house or his car.
It could also have hit somebody walking in the garden. That would have been disastrous indeed.
Unless and until some governmental authority proves otherwise, the 'flying intruder' must be regarded as a prime suspect as having been a piece of the iconic civic centre at Taman Budaya in Kuching.
I must say that Edgar is such a responsible citizen because he has brought to the attention of the public a potential killer in the city.
The authorities, generally fond of advising the public 'not to speculate' on various mysterious events, may or may not have appreciated his prompt raising of the alarm!
Since the incident, many people have been waiting for the authorities to act, making known what exactly would be done to the building, and how soon.
The ball is at the government's court, or of agencies such as the city council.
Which one: Kuching North City Commission (DBKU) or Kuching South City Council (MBKS)?
Repeat, whoever has an interest in the building should take a prompt action to assure the public that the danger posed by falling materials from the structure is eliminated altogether.
It would be a great embarrassment to all concerned if another gust of wind should blow away more pieces of the roof of the tower. In the event of a lawsuit, the name of the well-known architect and that of the builder of the centre could be dragged in.
The owner/custodian, owing a duty of care to the public at large, may well be liable for any injury to person or damage to property.
Breach of that duty would be a tort of negligence.
While waiting for the bureaucratic machinery to grind at its own pace, let's pray that no strong wind will blow in the direction of Taman Budaya for the time being.
Praying may not be enough – some concrete action would be better.
We'd like to see men fixing the lifts, men on the roof to inspect the extent of structural damage, and to see what needs replacement or what needs to be retained.
Just some tangible sign signifying something is being done.
Various groups of people have expressed their interest in the future of the Kuching Civic Centre.
It is good that everybody recognises the importance of some useful facility, instead of letting the structure rot away.
During its heyday, the planetarium attracted a lot of interest amongst school-children and other members of the public. They came to see the stars at close range, while listening to the late Mr Jacob Sebastian explaining the mysteries of the sky.
A pity that no one as competent and knowledgeable as Mr Sebastian took over the job when he was unable to continue manning the planetarium.
I went once to his talk and learned something about the constellation of stars before immersing myself in the old newspapers, which were being stored somewhere downstairs.
I hope these newspapers had been microfilmed and were being kept in the National Archive as part of the national heritage.
The last time that I was at the civic centre was when I went to pay my last respects to the late Awang Raweng, holder of the George Cross.
The hero was lying in state in the main hall of the centre before he was interred at the Heroes Monument across the road.
I think the hall is still good for many purposes.
During its heyday, the place was a popular venue for cultural shows and other gatherings.
This was before the completion of the Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK).
The organisers of large-scale gatherings began to shift venues, leaving the civic centre in the lurch.
I remember organising a singing competition in the Iban language there. It was a roaring success.
Sometimes one tends to associate success with the venue where it was held.
Up in the tower, there were good restaurants. Those who had been there would wish to go back with friends.
I invited a friend from Singapore to show off what Kuching could offer by way of a panoramic view of the city – city in the forest, and a forest in the city.
A few years later, when I wanted to take a friend from New Zealand for a bowl of laksa up there, it was a great let-down: the lifts were not working!
The Kiwi went home without a story to tell.
I think it would be good if the citizens were given the chance to propose what to do with that building or the land.
I would suggest that the land on which it stands be alienated to the Sarawak Initiatives, a group that provides training facilities to groom up young Sarawakians who aspire to be the future leaders.
They need a venue with facilities for the study of the Malaysia Agreement 1963 and related documents, for the studying of local customs and mores, the law of the constitution, and current world affairs affecting the country.
I hope this organisation would bid for alienation of the land and undertake to use it for some useful purpose in terms of quality education for the young Sarawakians.
If the government decides to pull the structure down, there must be other organisations that would like to acquire the property and develop it for some good purpose.
Alienate the land to a deserving local organisation.
* The opinions expressed in this article are the columnist's own and do not reflect the view of the newspaper. city councils Civic Centre maintenance roofing