KOTA SAMARAHAN: The project to redevelop the old Sarawak State Legislative Assembly building in Petra Jaya, Kuching, into a cultural performance centre or Istana Budaya Sarawak, is expected to start in the second half of this year.
Sarawak Minister of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said the project was currently in the final stage of preparation and that the contractor had also been identified.
“The cost, if I’m not mistaken, is more than RM200mil for the entire [upgraded] complex,” he told Bernama after attending the second edition of the Borneo Illustration & Creative Festival here on Friday.Abdul Karim said the project is expected to take two years to complete and needs to be done in stages due to the relatively old structure of the building.
Earlier, he said that certain modifications were necessary in the project’s planning as the consortia had collaborated to submit three proposal papers for upgrading the project to Sarawak Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg.
