The Perak government wants to turn the “Old Town”part of Ipoh into a heritage attraction to draw domestic and foreign tourists, state executive councillor Hamidah Osman said today.
Hamidah, who is chairman of the State Industry, Investment, Entrepreneur Development, Tourism and Women’s Affairs Committee, said the heritage buildings in that part of the city were unique and had a history.
Ipoh city is divided into the old town and new town by the Kinta river which flows through it.
Hamidah told reporters some of the buildings were the Ipoh Railway Station,the Town Hall and old houses along Jalan Panglima as well as the Ipoh Padang.
She said the old houses along Jalan Panglima, once known as Concubine Lane, were the homes of concubines of some of the rich businessmen at the height of Perak’s tin-producing days.
Hamidah said the state government would undertake a study with various agencies, including the Ipoh City Council, to make available and upgrade facilities for visitors.
“We want to revive Old Town which was the heart of Ipoh at one time. We will look into installation of street lights and arches and upgrade facilities suchas the heritage trail which had been in place,” she said.
She said the state government was also setting up a tourist information centre at the railway station as a value added feature of the Old Town project.
The centre would be manned by experienced tour agents who could speak several languages, she added.
– Bernama
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