Highlights include the Bazar Rakyat market in Seri Kembangan (left) that has undergone beautification including installation of new blinds with colourful designs. — Photos: ART CHEN/The Star
A MAP highlighting local attractions, popular food stops and recommended local products in Serdang, Selangor, is in the final stages of being drawn up by Seri Kembangan assemblyman Wong Siew Ki and her team.
She said the map would be launched at a Happiness Carnival on Feb 8 and 9 and be made available for free at selected local shops and restaurants.
“The map includes artworks by schoolgoers and local artists. It will be printed in Mandarin, English and Bahasa Malaysia.”
The carnival, she said, would kick-start the Serdang Tourism campaign highlighting the heritage of the area, which encompasses Seri Kembangan and parts of Seri Serdang and Balakong.
Wong is planning to recruit and train 1,000 secondary students as roving tourist ambassadors.
Following the launch, Wong plans to recruit and train some 1,000 secondary students as roving tourist ambassadors to distribute the maps and boost the tourism campaign.
These ambassadors will help promote Serdang’s food and attractions through social media, and can also provide recommendations to visitors if asked.
“I believe tourism is one of the best ways to introduce and build understanding of a place.
“Besides introducing Serdang to the public, I hope this campaign will create a sense of pride among locals,” she said.
The cheerful map featuring food and attractions in Serdang will be printed in three languages.
Wong, who undertook a project to promote Balakong’s industrial tourism sector during her previous term as Balakong assemblyman, said Serdang had elements for a good tourism campaign.
“It has places with good views, such as Seri Kembangan New Village, Bukit Serdang Trail and Rainbow Bridge at Sungai Kuyoh.
“Most of the good food can be found in Seri Kembangan New Village and around Malaysia Agro Exposition Park Serdang.
“There are also good locally made products, such as chilli paste, soy sauce and bakery items, but what the manufacturers lack is professional packaging and marketing platforms.”
Wong is hoping to send the manufacturers for programmes similar to BAIK Selangor that has helped add value to products developed in new villages through innovation and creativity.
She also hopes to develop more ways to market locally made products by working closely with traders’ associations.
“The products can be sold at Seri Kembangan markets or shops. The manufacturers can either rent stalls or make arrangements with existing stall or shop owners to sell their products.
“I am also planning to include some locally made products as prizes for competitions and encourage event or contest organisers here to do the same.”
Wong said she had worked with Puchong MP Yeo Bee Yin on a beautification project at Pasar Basah Bazar Rakyat Seri Kembangan to make the market safer and more attractive to both traders and customers.
“Yeo allocated RM46,110 for the project, which included upgrading and adding CCTV cameras and installing new blinds with colourful designs.
“The blinds are usually pulled down in the morning to provide shade, then pulled up after business hours as a safety measure,” Wong said, adding that this made the market more presentable.
Wong is also hoping to turn the market into a tourist attraction and a go-to place for those looking to buy local products.
She said besides being the biggest new village in Selangor, Kampung Baru Seri Kembangan was also the largest Hakka new village in Malaysia.
“The Serdang Tourism campaign this year is timed in conjunction with Visit Selangor Year 2025 and Visit Malaysia 2026.
“The campaign’s official mascot is a starfruit called Bling Bling which is tied to the area’s history, as starfruit was once widely planted in Seri Kembangan,” said Wong.
Her office has developed a series of programmes involving Bling Bling and Serdang Tourism.
It includes getting businesses and restaurants to adopt Bling Bling for their marketing campaign, renting Bling Bling out for corporate or government events as well as the student tourist ambassador programme.
