LANGKAWI: The 28-year-old iconic giant eagle statue located at Eagle Square in Langkawi will be undergoing an upgrade and refurbishing work estimated to cost RM2.1 million.
This would include enhancement works to improve the lighting and repaint the eagle statue and its surroundings to make it look more attractive.
Perched 12 metres above the star-shaped concrete deck overlooking the Kuah Jetty, the giant eagle statue is a welcoming icon to visitors coming into Langkawi.
Langkawi Development Authority (LADA) chief executive officer, Datuk Haslina Abdul Hamid said the refurbishing works started on Feb 28 and is expected to be completed by the end of September, this year.
"Funding for the upgrade of this iconic eagle symbol, which is a landmark on the island, has been provided by the Ministry of Finance.
"The overall upgrade work is currently 81 per cent complete and is expected to be completed on schedule," she said today.
Dataran Lang, spanning 4.4 hectares, has been closed for the past five months.
Haslina said the first event to take place there once it reopens will be the Petronas Le Tour de Langkawi in September.
Earlier, Haslina, accompanied by her deputy, Wan Kamarul Faisal Wan Kamardin, visited the attraction to inspect the ongoing refurbishment work being carried out by the contractor.
She said the refurbishment work on the eagle statue structure, architecture, mechanical aspects, and electrical wiring aims to ensure the safety and comfort of visitors.
The Eagle Square, also known as Dataran Lang, after its completion as Langkawi's landmark icon in 1995, has also served as a filming location for both local and international films.
Among some of the Bollywood films that have been shot at Dataran Lang include Yaadein in 2001, Rishtaa in 2003 and Don in 2006.