KL TO HAVE A HERITAGE FOODS RESTAURANT

KUALA LUMPUR, June 4 (Bernama) -- A heritage foods restaurant is to be opened at
the building formerly occupied by the National History Museum in Jalan Raja here
at the end of the year.

Information, Communications and Culture Minister Dr Rais Yatim said
the Heritage Foods Restaurant would help stimulate heritage and tourism
activities not only for foreign tourists but also for the local people.

The strategic location of the restaurant, near the Merdeka Square (Dataran
Merdeka) and Kuala Lumpur Library as well as the Sultan Abdul Samad building,
would enable tourists and Malaysians to take a break, consume heritage foods,
and buy arts and craft products, he told reporters after the ground-breaking for
the National Art Gallery administrative building here.

Rais said a proposal paper on the Heritage Foods Restaurant, which would be
set up with the collaboration of the Tourism Ministry, would be submitted to the
Cabinet soon.

"We have planned for the sale of all kinds of food of the various
communities at reasonable prices there. Customers can have coffee, teh tarik,
pisang goreng (banana fritters), kuih koci, kuih baba and nyonya, and roti
canai. I believe this will be a draw for our people," he said.

Rais said he expected the project to be completed by the end of this year
and to be launched in conjunction with the launch of Kuala Lumpur as the Asean
Arts Centre.

"Under the Asean Charter, we have several communities -- political, security
and socio-cultural. Under the socio-cultural community, Kuala Lumpur will evolve
as a centre of culture and heritage at the Asean level," he said.

On another matter, Rais said a committee would be set up under the National
Art Gallery to organise an art competition depicting the concept of 1Malaysia.

Rais also suggested that the government provide tax exemption to those who
bought visual arts pieces to encourage the people to own quality works of art.

On the RM23-million National Art Gallery administrative building, Rais said
the extension was expected to be completed next year and would be a symbol for
the growth of art in the country.

The seven-storey building would be constructed on a 0.772-hectare site.

-- BERNAMA