LETTERS: Seremban residents are ecstatic that the new RM170 million Seremban Sentral railway station will be ready in two years, following the groundbreaking last Friday by Transport Minister Anthony Loke.
The present Seremban railway station, built in 1904, will be preserved and integrated with Seremban Sentral. The heritage building could boost tourism and uplift Seremban's image as a progressive city.
Nevertheless, there are certain issues the state leadership must look into, including fixing the many potholes on roads in Rasah and the city centre. There are also two abandoned buildings in the city centre that are an eysore.
As a Seremban resident of nearly 70 years, I regularly do my brisk walk between Rasah and Seremban Lake Gardens. The walking pavements are damaged and unsafe, and one can fall into the drains that are missing covers along Jalan Rasah.
Two prominent abandoned buildings in the city, including the Convent of Holy Infant Jesus, were demolished for a business centre project.
But the site is now a pond of stagnant water bigger than an Olympic-sized swimming pool and a breeding ground for mosquitoes.
Another long-abandoned building (almost for four decades) is along Jalan Rahang facing the King George V School. The school is also crying for a coat of paint to upkeep its status as a premier education institution.
Seremban must be turned into a vibrant city so that the Malaysian Vision Valley, launched in 2010, can become a reality.
Residents hope that the state capital can become a shopping and gourmet paradise that will attract tourists, and not just be known as a retiree town.
C. SATHASIVAM SITHERAVELLU
Seremban, Negri Sembilan
The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect those of the New Straits Times