Bringing life back to downtown JB

18 June 2010 , By New Straits Times

TWO years ago, when the old Customs, Immigration and Quarantine Complex (CIQ) on Johor's side of the Causeway closed down, traders claimed they suffered a hefty dip in business. Scores of newspaper vendors, sundry shop and restaurant owners -- the ones who cater to the motorcycle-riding workforce of Singapore -- claimed they had suffered a 50 per cent drop in customers and sales.

That was in December 2008. Fast forward to the present and it seems the situation may be getting worse.
A year after the old CIQ closed down and traffic was diverted to the new Sultan Iskandar Building in Bukit Chagar, the offices of the state administration in nearby Bukit Timbalan were relocated to Nusajaya.
The working population of the city centre has been slowly dwindling.

Trader Hazlina Mahmood, who set up a chocolate shop at the Plaza Kotaraya shopping mall less than a year ago, has noticed the dwindling number of customers in the city centre.

"Many of the customers in the shopping mall were civil servants from Bukit Timbalan, which is a short walk away. After their offices moved to Nusajaya, there are not many people frequenting the mall.

"It has been tough being a newcomer here. However, I have managed by making an effort to meet my customers outside the city."

Even the gutter rats which crossed Jalan Wong Ah Fook, once the busiest street in the city, are having a ball of a time enjoying the peace and quiet.

It is a serious matter, but not everyone shares this prediction of gloom and doom.
The traders and restaurant owners in the city centre have fewer customers, but does this really spell the end for them?

They may not be getting their previous clientele of government servants and Singapore-bound workers but, perhaps, they should switch their focus to city folk who head downtown at night for the JB Bazaar.

The bazaar spans Jalan Segget, and the Dataran Segget walkway, and is a hit with people at night and especially during weekends. One can find anything, from clothes, shoes, antiques and toys to knick-knacks and food at the many stalls.

There is a carnival atmosphere, with stalls offering shisha water tobacco and even open-air karaoke. Since the crowds come out at night, maybe traders in the city centre should capitalise on this and open later. The JB Bazaar is one of many efforts to liven up the city centre.

Menteri Besar Datuk Abdul Ghani Othman had earlier announced development plans for Johor under the 10th Malaysia Plan.

Among the proposals under the five-year plan are the RM1.8 billion Johor Baru city transformation plan, the RM8 billion double-tracking rail project from Gemas to Johor Baru and the Bus Rapid Transit System in Iskandar Malaysia.

The transformation plan for Johor Baru includes the RM200 million allocation from the Federal Government to clean up and beautify Sungai Segget, which runs through the heart of the city. Ghani had said the funds for the projects would come from a government-facilitating fund.

The announcement was welcomed by Johoreans, who have longed to see the revival of their state capital.Clearly, there is much to be done to bring back the "glory" to this once thriving part of the city. Although the area seems to resemble a ghost town, all is not lost. As with any form of change, there is always some pain, suffering or loss. I suppose this is the way the world works.

It may be the beginning of new things for Johor Baru as much of the city's previous activities have shifted elsewhere. These activities have been expanding away from the downtown area for a long time.Since the late 1980s, much of the development has been moving further north, like in areas near the airport at Senai and the industries in the Kulaijaya district. At the same time, much of the city's industrial sector is concentrated on its western edge, in places such as Pasir Gudang and Masai.

The new state administrative centre in Kota Iskandar, Nusajaya, is located on the eastern edge of the city. Many housing estates have recently sprouted in its vicinity. In short, the centre of activity is no longer in downtown Johor Baru.

This expansion of development away from the city centre is part of the process of the city becoming a major metropolis. It is a development which is spread out and planned to facilitate the needs of the people.

During a recent visit to Johor Baru, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak said the city would undergo a "beautification project" in the years to come.Najib also announced that a new "landmark" would be built on the Malaysian side of the Causeway. A waterway is to be built to improve the water quality in the Tebrau Straits. A new cruise ship jetty is also on the cards

The double-tracking rail project and BRT system for Iskandar Malaysia also point to the significance of the southern state in terms of transport. The opening of the new JB Sentral train terminal next month, and plans to turn Senai into a air and rail transport hub, mark the beginning of a new era for transport in the region.