Anne (middle) relating the food court woes to Liew (right).
KOTA KINABALU: The Tourism, Culture and Environment Ministry (KePKAS) will set up a committee to address cleanliness, health and hygiene concerns stemming from rat infestation, and the issue of street kids harassing tourists, as raised by the food court operators on the first floor of the Kota Kinabalu Central Market.
Its Minister Datuk Seri Christina Liew said the proposed Committee will be headed by the Permanent Secretary.
“We will invite representatives from the relevant departments or agencies, including the Immigration authorities, Kota Kinabalu City Hall (DBKK) and the Tourist Police, to sit on the Committee. We will meet to discuss how best to tackle the issues and find ways to resolve them,” she said after a site inspection at the Kota Kinabalu Central Market yesterday.
Liew, who is also Api-Api Assemblywoman, feared that if left unchecked, roaming rats and the presence of street kids cornering tourists to demand money from them will scare tourists away from the food court. “I have received complaints from the food court operators. This unsightly situation is ruining the image of the Kota Kinabalu Central Market,” she said.
During the visit, food stall operator V.Y. Ho reported to Liew that he was doing well with tourists from China patronising his stall. “However, I am not sure whether I can sustain my business if the authorities do not fix the problems of rat infestation, roof leakage and street kids sniffing glue on the staircase,” he lamented, while expressing concern for the old wiring and occasional water supply disruption. “On top of it, these street kids are pestering my customers for money.”
Meanwhile, another food court operator Annie Dusin complained that one of the fans was not functioning and water gets into the area whenever it rains as certain parts of the roof are leaking. “We need more lights, too, to brighten up the area.”
Liew assured the operators that she would bring their woes to the attention of DBKK so that steps can be taken to improve the facilities.
