Dataran Merdeka closed till year-end

KUALA LUMPUR, 28 July 2020:

The field at Dataran Merdeka (Merdeka Square) will be closed from Aug 1 until Dec 31 for maintenance work.

In its posting on its official Twitter, Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) said the closure is also to replace the grass to maintain the greenery of the area and improve the quality of the field.

As such, there will be no reservations for the field during this period.

DBKL earlier identified 353 historic areas in the city centre to be included as new tourist attractions, said mayor Datuk Nor Hisham Ahmad Dahlan.

He said the buildings and sites located in these areas have been picked out as spots to be included in the pedestrian walkway of the Kuala Lumpur Heritage Trail.

“Among them is the DBKL City Theatre, located in front of Dataran Merdeka which will reopen on Aug 1.”

While aiming to promote domestic tourism in an attempt to revive the sector, following the Covid-19 pandemic, the initiative was also to preserve and conserve historical sites in the capital city, he added.

He said the first phase of the 1.5km route involves 17 areas in Lebuh Ampang – adding that stories behind the buildings in the areas have been compiled to be included in the pilot project called ‘KL Dulu, Jejak Warisan KL’.

“Previously in Masjid Jamek for example, there was another mosque known as the Java Street Mosque which was built in the 1870s. Not many are aware of such historical background and these are stories that we wish to share with tourists.

“For buildings that are no longer there or have been replaced by other buildings, we will place a marker complete with the relevant historical information.”

Nor Hisham said it took DBKL eight months to collect the historical information through workshops involving 17 small focus groups as well as through interviews with owners and heirs of the buildings.

“We also welcome the cooperation of anyone willing to come forward to share their personal knowledge of their properties as added information on the buildings and sites.

“At the same time, we also request the cooperation of building owners to take care of their premises and to inform us of any vandalism that could affect the image of the tourist route.”

Nor Hisham said DBKL was also prepared to clean or undertake repair works on abandoned buildings found along the heritage trail, but the cost would be borne by the building owner.

– Bernama