By: Rosli Mansor and Ahmad Razali
Ipoh: “Nothing is appealing, for the sight of the malfunctioning LED screen and the dark surroundings,” lamented a visitor at the Ipoh Railway Station (KTM) Square last night.
Hardi Ibrahim, 33, from Kampar, expressed that his visit to the KTM station was to pick up his child returning from Kuala Lumpur via ETS while also enjoying the beauty of the night in the KTM Square area.
“I was quite surprised to see the square, which was once lively with various recreational activities, now silent and deserted.
“Most disheartening is the malfunctioning LED screen. It was supposed to function to promote tourism products for the Visit Perak 2024 (TMP2024) initiative due to its large and clear size visible from a distance.
“Many street lights are also broken and remain unrepaired, causing several areas to be dark. Similarly, the landscape is mostly dark, making it difficult for visitors to read the displayed tourism information,” he told Ipoh Echo/Peraktastic.
Hardi also felt disappointed seeing the Ipoh Town Hall building, which has been under refurbishment for so long and is yet to be completed.
“The Town Hall is one of the heritage buildings that serve as a major tourism asset. In the past, the building was beautiful with night lighting. Now, it’s been a month into TMP2024, and this main building is still under maintenance.
“The Ipoh City Council (MBI) should be attentive to these issues. Tourism Perak has worked hard to make TMP2024 a success, but unfortunately, it has not received the necessary cooperation.
“There are still 11 months until TMP2024 concludes. MBI needs to act promptly. The influx of foreign tourists is increasing; let’s not disappoint them in witnessing the uniqueness of Ipoh, especially the heritage buildings at night.
“The beauty of heritage buildings at night and during the day, at the very least, can somewhat mitigate the issues of cleanliness and improper waste disposal that continue to be a disgrace and embarrassment to the people of Ipoh,” he emphasized.
