KUCHING: Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg has floated the idea of introducing gondola rides along Sungai Bintangor, envisioning a vibrant waterfront inspired by the charm of Venice in Italy.
He said with the completion of the Datuk Amar Juma’ani Bridge, there is now an opportunity to beautify the river and turn the surrounding area into a new urban destination.
The proposal is part of a broader vision to transform traditional kampung areas into modern communities, without compromising the interests and heritage of local residents.
“If Venice has gondolas, maybe one day we’ll have our own, the Venice of Bintangor.
“Now that the bridge is ready, we can start looking at ways to enhance the river. A clean, well-planned waterfront can lift the entire area.
“This is part of our dream. To create something meaningful for the people here,” he said when officiating at the opening of the new Sungai Bintangor Bridge, which was named Datuk Amar Juma’ani Bridge last night (Aug 5).
Abang Johari said the area has the potential to follow in the footsteps of global cities such as Rotterdam, Budapest, and Perth — all of which successfully revitalised their riverside communities through modern infrastructure and thoughtful planning.
In referencing Rotterdam’s Erasmus Bridge, he noted that Kuching now has its own version of such an iconic structure, right in the middle of a traditional village setting.
“In Rotterdam, there’s the Erasmus Bridge. Budapest has a similar one too. If Bintulu has the Golden Gate, then Kuching now has its ‘Rotterdam’ and this bridge is in Bintangor.
“But I leave it to the people here to decide how the area should be developed as long as the community’s interests are preserved.
“This is our collective dream. I won’t force anything. It’s up to the people of the kampung to choose the path forward,” he said.
He said the government had already prepared a master plan to guide development in the Bintangor-Masjid-Haji Taha (MBHT) zone, which includes restoring old docks and extending the waterfront all the way to Satok Bridge.
Drawing a comparison with East Perth in Australia, he said similar rejuvenation efforts there transformed a struggling riverside area into one of the city’s most attractive urban precincts.
“In Perth, there’s a dock. We have one too, and we’ll restore it. We’ll extend our waterfront to Satok Bridge, which I also redeveloped in the past,” he said.
The Premier added that any future development, including apartments or modern housing, would be designed so that villagers retain ownership and benefit directly from urban growth.
“With new development models, villagers can have their own units. That way, they won’t lose their land, and their legacy remains intact,” he said.
