Taman Selera Muhibbah Food Court, Sibu to be transformed it into a modern and consumer-friendly hawker centre.

SIBU: Sibu Municipal Council (SMC) is targeting to complete the redevelopment of Taman Selera Muhibbah Food Court into a modern and consumer-friendly hawker centre in six months.

SMC Market & Petty Traders Standing Committee chairman councillor Albert Tiang said works are expected to commence in July if everything goes well.

He said they had initially planned to call for tender this month.

“But now, we are still waiting for approval from the State Building Design Committee on the drawing plan (of the building). The committee meets once every three months, so their next meeting will be in April.

“So, if the committee gives approval in April, then tender can only be called in May and works to commence in July,” Tiang told The Borneo Post yesterday when asked on the status of the redevelopment of Taman Selera Muhibbah Food Court.

He added that funding for the project estimated to cost RM3.5 million would come from the state government.

“When completed in time to come, the single-storey Taman Selera Muhibbah Food Court will be a modern hawker centre, that is friendly to consumers of all ages – from babies to the elderly and people with disabilities (OKU).

“Among others, it will be equipped with baby feeding and nappy changing room, OKU toilets and facilities, wheelchair access to all stalls including food ordering and pickup in addition to OKU-friendly dining tables,” he said.

Tiang added: “It will be a new structure with bigger stalls. But some of the existing structures will be retained.

“We (council) will be introducing new public health measures. Here, we will have a proper waste water management to prevent it from being discharged into the river behind (the food court),” he said.

Additionally, there will be centralised mechanical dish washing system, he said further.

“This means that all dishes will be handled by this machine – under a contractor.”

Tiang said the hawkers at the centre will be relocated to a temporary site at Jalan Tapang here to make way for the redevelopment.

“Works to set up 43 temporary stalls will commence latest by April and hawkers can start operating either by May or June,” he said.

The hawkers at Taman Selera Muhhibah Food Court were relocated there about 18 years ago from roadsides and back lanes of the town centre following a massive Sibu business district development carried out by SMC.