294. HAPPY CITY DAY, IPOH

Today Ipoh celebrates the 22nd anniversary of its city status accorded back on the 27 May 1988.

A few new areas notably around its City Hall building in Greentown and the Tambun area have since been developed. An area called Bandar Meru Raya along the North South Highway near Jelapang interchange was earmarked as annex city for administrative cum business centre but sadly after 22 years just a few buildings started to show their faces sporadicly here and there.

Many groundbreaking ceremonies were held by the previous three Menteri Besars yet actual developments remained a distance. Ipoh City folks, nonetheless, are patient beings and they are still waiting for the real progress to materialise.

Maybe Dato' Roshidi, the present Mayor has something up his sleeves to move Ipoh up the City league in terms of cleanliness, soft landscape, greenery and provision of city parks to promote healthy living, more commercial facilities to promote trade,tidy burial grounds to sooth the eyes, hygienic food outlets for families to feast and upgrading of drainage system to avoid flash floods especially in Jelapang.

Good luck to you, Sir

One item worth mentioning was the construction a new landmark in the form of a three-pillared clock tower to commemorate the day Ipoh received its city status. The clock tower with its majestic Moorish architecture now stands proudly right in front of the City Hall building and the centre of public nightly congregations.

Alas the plaque narrating the basic information on the clock tower was long gone, victim of vandalism.

Still, Happy City Day, Ipoh...