Monday February 4, 2013

How to give Perak tourism a boost

IT is most heartening to know that the Perak state government together with the Perak Tourism Board are going all-out to make Perak a must stop for local and foreign tourists.

There are many tourist destinations in the state which are still untapped and they must be highlighted.

One of the favourite tourist destinations in Perak is Kellie’s Castle. It is popular because it is easily accessible and it is not too far off the beaten track to Ipoh city. Rightly the state government is pumping in more money into this iconic castle to make it more attractive.

I have nothing against the idea of building more stalls at the entrance to the castle. But it must be remembered that the main attraction is the castle and not the stalls.

At the same time, cleanliness must be of utmost importance and the stall operators must be made aware of this.

I would like to suggest a new bridge be built across Sungai Raia leading to the castle. The design of the bridge must be in the old English style or Moorish design. This will conform with the architecture of the castle.

At night the whole castle should be lighted up just like the Sultan Abdul Samad building in Kuala Lumpur. Some parts of the castle must be left dimly lit in order to give a scary effect.

Another suggestion I would like to make is to encourage dramagroups to stage plays in English, Bahasa Malaysia, Mandarin or Tamil once or twice a month. The castle and its courtyard can be used as the backdrop. Apart from that, film companies should be encouraged to use the castle for their location shoot.

Lastly, I would like to suggest that one or two committee members from the nearby Hindu temple be included in the committee the government is forming to oversee the daily needs of the castle. It must be remembered that the temple was built by Kellie for his workers.

Most of those living in the area are descendants of Kellie’s workers. In memory of him, they have erected a small figurine of Kellie and placed it together with other prominent figurines on the roof of their temple.

MOHD GHAZALI OSMAN
Ipoh

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Monday February 4, 2013

How to give Perak tourism a boost