Satok Market in Kuching, or known as Pasar Satok in the local Malay language, is at Jalan Satok. Satok Market in Kuching has long been a part of this city’s urban and social landscape for decades. A good number of Kuching residents would visit this delightful Satok Market as part of their weekend activities. The Satok Market in Kuching starts every Saturday at 2pm and goes on until Sunday noontime. The Satok Market in Kuching is not far from the town centre. You could even walk to Satok Market from the town centre or you could take a short taxi ride from the Kuching Waterfront.
It was sad indeed to-day (Sunday 30-12-2012) is the last day we shop for local product in here.I have a chance having photography walk about here this morning.I saw many photographers and perhaps they just like me taking photo for the last day in Satok, for our record and history for our future generation .The vendor in here say 'It has been over 30 years I sell my jungle product here,very sad'....
KUCHING: Tourism Minister Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Openg has made an impassioned plea to traders and hawkers of Satok market for them to move to the newly-built Medan Niaga Satok, adjacent to Kubah Ria, here.
Addressing locals on Friday at the opening of the sixth annual Satok Fest — the first official use of Medan Niaga Satok — Johari acknowledged the trepidation felt by hawkers from the existing market about the relocation.
“Yes, there has been a lot of worries. In every big move, there is always fear — the fear of the unknown. People move house, they worry too. But we are going to promote this place heavily. People will come. The crowd will be here,” Johari said.
The minister was the prime mover of the Medan Niaga Satok.
He said it was he who first presented the idea to the Federal Government.
He said hawkers of the weekend market came from as far as Serian, Padawan and Lundu, and that they deserved a better business venue, where “they don’t have to sleep on the road”.
Johari said the existing site at Satok was “just a car park that does not even have enough toilets for the traders and hawkers”.
“I know the history of the market very well. It began at Market Street, just in front of Electra House, then it moved to near the Kuching Division Mosque, then to Satok.
“Each temporary place was larger than the last. The number of traders and hawkers always increased. But a car park is not supposed to be a dry or a wet market.
“There is no permanent electricity and water supply. Waste management is not good. When there are thunderstorms, it is unsafe. These traders who come from afar bring their families when they trade, so their children end up sleeping on the floor with them. These are the reasons why we need Medan Niaga Satok,” said the Satok assemblyman.
“This is the best permanent site for them. We in the Government will promote this place. Locals and tourists will come, all because this place is better.”
Medan Niaga Satok is situated on a 12.3-acre site on the north bank of the Sarawak River.
Built at a cost of over RM40mil, the market comprises five blocks, including administration, wet market, dry section, food court and open space.
The Satok market, which is a weekend market, has been at its old site along the car parks of shophouses for more than two decades.
It is a local favourite spot, which is listed in tourism guide books.
The government’s relocation of the market has been talked about since the news of the Medan Niaga was first announced.
Traders and hawkers have appeared resistant to the move.
Some have complained about small trading areas while others said the lack of parking spaces would pose a problem.
Johari told the crowd at the Satok Fest opening that what had been built to date at the area was only at its Phase One stage.
The Medan Niaga is adjacent to Kubah Ria, which is funded by the state government.
No comments:
Post a Comment