Historical and green Taiping perfect for tourists, pensioners

 

 

Pic: BERNAMA 

Historical and green Taiping perfect for tourists, pensioners

New Straits Times - 27 Feb 2023

By AHMAD SYAH EJAZ ISMAIL Kajang, Selangor

I WAS pleased to observe during a recent visit to Taiping the efforts by the local government to repair and renovate the Taiping public market (built in 1884) to preserve the brittle centennial building. It is the oldest public market in Malaysia and must be preserved. The local government must not only preserve the historical aspect of the city and its heritage, it should also decrease the carbon footprint of the greenhouse effect. In line with this, the local authorities must formulate a strong policy for residents to recycle select household waste and reduce the use of petrochemical products, especially plastics.

 I would like to suggest that Tenaga Nasional Bhd look to Taiping first for the possible supply of renewal energies (solar or hydro) as a pilot project, in lieu of our commitment to achieving the sustainable development goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2050. The Perak government must confer a special status on Taiping to make the town a “real” pioneering sustainable township for other cities to emulate. This will come perfectly in line with the recognition received by Taiping as one of the world’s three best sustainable cities in 2019. Needless to say, this will press Taiping to preserve its clean rivers, hills and green areas from industrial encroachment. Moreover, the move to safeguard the green areas, along with its historical aspects and heritage, should be on the agenda for Taiping.

Taiping’s award as one of the world’s top three sustainable cities in 2019 must be followed by programmes to ensure its sustainability. Perhaps Taiping should be the first to achieve zero-carbon emissions in the near future. To attain this, the township must first be well managed, starting with improving the drainage system so that household, industrial or commercial waste is not dumped into Sungai Larut. Not many townships in Perak have what Taiping can offer: history, nature and culture. I would also like to propose that the Health Ministry conduct a scientific survey of Taiping’s population to determine the percentage of people suffering from cardiovascular disease.

I suspect it might be the lowest among the Malaysian population due to the healthy lifestyle of its citizens and the availability of scenic parks, including Maxwell Hills, which is easily accessible. If this is true, the government should provide one public park for a certain threshold number of populations across Malaysia as a prerequisite for town planning.

I look forward to seeing how Taiping can mature further to become one of the best resort destinations for foreign and domestic tourists. It would be wise for pensioners to choose Taiping as their retirement place, away from the exhaust fumes and noise pollution of city roads or flash floods. With a relatively low cost of living and the perfect environment for children’s upbringing, plus the benefits of one’s mental and physical health, Taiping awaits future pensioners.

 Source: www.nst.com.my