NEW STRAITS TIMES
January 12, 2016 @
11:00am
I
HAVE been following the discussion on the Taiping market, having read Liew Suet
Fun’s article (“The extraordinary passage of Taiping’s Central Market”, NST,
Dec 27) and the subsequent letter from Datuk Mutalib Razak (“Taiping needs
tourism blueprint”, NST, Jan 2).
As someone living in Taiping all my life and as
president of the Taiping Heritage Society, I recognise the necessity of
conserving the aspects of heritage that form the essential character of the
town.
It is also this distinctive quality that sets it apart
from other towns and can become the strongest basis for a viable and
sustainable strategy for tourism. I agree with Mutallib’s call to look towards
heritage in developing the industry.
The Taiping Municipal Council with Northern Corridor
Implementation Authority has earmarked some 39 heritage sites and raised
signages and markers for these sites. Efforts are also being made to develop
and conserve the iconic Taiping Lake Gardens. I am sure this attitude will
prevail as they assume authority in the management of Bukit Larut, once known
as Maxwell Hill, from January this year.
Bukit Larut, whose natural setting is its greatest
virtue, must not walk the path of Genting Highlands or Cameron Highlands, where
extensive development has altered the environment. For Taiping’s Central
Market, I hope that the Taiping Municipal Council will tread carefully with its
restoration plans.
The market is a repository of living history as
inter-generational businesses have operated there for almost a century. A
survey conducted by the authorities last year showed that over 90 per cent of
these businesses are against the move to new premises. This overwhelming
majority in favour of the current location must be taken seriously.
The Taiping Heritage Society stands ready to assist the
council to ensure development of any kind is carried out in a balanced and
thoughtful manner. We need to build on our history instead of obliterating it.
n YEAP THEAN
ENG, Taiping, Perak
