RM1mil grant to rejuvenate Johor Baru's art, heritage and culture scene

A filepic of a pandemic mural in Johor Baru, which was created in August 2020 by artists Dhiyaul Mohd Ashraf and Amir Andhar. Photo: The Star/Thomas Yong

A sum of RM1mil has been allocated to boost community development around Johor Baru in an effort to rejuvenate the city.

Iskandar Regional Development Authority (IRDA) chief executive officer, Datuk Dr Badrul Hisham Kassim said the allocation in the form of grants under the Art, Heritage And Culture City Centre Grant Programme was the result of cooperation between IRDA and Johor Baru City Council and Think City.

He said the programme also complemented the rejuvenation initiative and upgrading of the Sungai Segget landscape which started in 2013 and completed this year.

"Apart from efforts to rejuvenate the city, the grant is also meant for conserving and protecting the various heritage assets and culture in this city so as to retain the local identity in line with the aspirations of the state government and local authorities.

"The approach taken for the programme is the disbursing of grants to the community that will ensure a comprehensive impact of the identified projects while the involvement of various stakeholders is taken into consideration during the implementation process.”

He said this at a recent press conference after the "Know The New Face of Sungai Segget" programme and launching of the Johor Baru City Centre Grant: Art, Heritage and Culture.

Also present were Johor Menteri Besar, Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi and Johor Baru mayor, Datuk Mohd Noorazam Osman.

According to Badrul Hisham, there are three scopes in applying for and using the grants, namely, cultural content and reactivation of the spaces and community programmes. The applications are open now and will end on July 25, while the results will be announced on Sept 6.

Meanwhile, upgrading of the Sungai Segget landscape has been divided into three phases with the third phase expected to cost RM40mil.

Badrul Hisham said phase one involved the Centralised Sewage Treatment Plant costing RM123mil, including the cost of land, and phase two, construction of a Sewerage and Flood Mitigation System at a cost of RM117mil.

"Once completed, the upgrading of the Sungai Segget landscape should be able to attract tourists and locals to the area.

"With the new look, Sungai Segget is expected to come alive with the introduction of elements and components based on the heritage of Johor, thus making the Sungai Segget area more holistic for development and commercial, cultural and recreational use," he added. - Bernama