KLANG: A Klang-based non-governmental organisation has kickstarted efforts to get the royal town’s 62-year-old Kota Bridge to be gazetted as a national heritage.
The idea was mooted by Kelab Warisan Sungai Klang. It had, in November last year, submitted papers to get the 100m-long bridge, which is the only double-decker bridge in South East Asia, to be recognised by the government.
Club president Jordan Ng said it was vital for Kota Bridge,in the heart of Klang, to make it to the growing list of the National Heritage Department’s heritage sites and structures.
He said this was because Kota Bridge had become a forgotten piece of history after it was closed, and after a second bridge was built parallel to it in the 1980s.
Ng said it was championing Kota Bridge due to its significance to Klang folk and how it had once served as a connectivity point more than half a century ago.
He described it as the heart of Klang back then, where locals converged on to make their way back and forth from the north and south of Klang.
Kota Bridge, he said, was a reinforced steel truss girder bridge that was constructed between 1958 and 1960.
It was reported that Kota Bridge was constructed by British firm Dorman Long Engineering Limited, which also built the Sydney Harbour Bridge in 1932.
It was opened in 1959 by the late Sultan Hisamuddin Alam Shah.
‘The upper deck was opened to vehicles while the lower deck was for motorcyclists, pedestrians and trishaws. It brought people from Taman Pengkalan Batu over to the wet morning market across the river, near to the now demolished Emporium Makan.
‘Back in those days, after the women did their marketing and armed with their groceries, they would hire trishaws to make their way home to the other side of the river.
‘The upper deck of the bridge was closed decades after as it could not cope with the growing volume of traffic and after a second one was built parallel to it.
‘However,the lower deck is still open to pedestrians, motorcycles and bicycles. You can see people fishing in the morning and evening. Pedestrians and motorcyclists use the bridge, but it is not as busy compared to yesteryears.
‘We do not want Kota Bridge to be forgotten. We want it to regain its glory days. It will be a shame if we do not do all we can to get it recognised as a national heritage.
‘We are afraid that if we do not get it gazetted as a national heritage, it could be dismantled in the future,’ Ng told the New Straits Times.
He said in June, officers from the National Heritage Department paid a visit to Kota Bridge for an assessment.
‘I was told by the officers that there would no problem with our application and there was paperwork that needed to be completed. We hope there will be good news soon.’
Besides having Kota Bridge recognised as a national heritage, Ng said the club wanted the bridge to be promoted as a tourism, wedding and photography spot for local and foreign visitors.
He said there was great potential for Kota Bridge to be transformed into a must-visit spot, similar to ones abroad where tourists flock to bridges and riverbanks to have photographs taken.
Ng said there were many photo opportunities at Kota Bridge against the background of the Masjid Diraja Bandar Klang, especially during sunset.
‘A momentum has been built here, where a fast-food chain as well as a telecommunications company filmed their commercials here.
A scene from local movie Sangkar was filmed here. In a scene,the main actor runs across the bridge.
‘Kota Bridge can be popularised in many ways to spur tourism and economic growth. Klang is not just about bah kut teh.’