The contractor handed over the site on Oct 30. That is the handover date, rather than the date construction ended. Works had begun on July 28 and were scheduled to finish on Oct 27.

For the centre’s 11 stalls and their customers, the changes are practical: a replacement roof and supporting structure, improvements to stall interiors and serving areas, and replacement tiles, ceilings, sinks, grilles and roller shutters. External walls were also repainted.

Kuching South mayor Wee Hong Seng said the centre has served nearby residents, factory workers and people crossing from Kampung Muhibbah since 1989. The investment therefore affects an everyday food stop as well as the council’s plans to draw more visitors to Pending Jetty.

MBKS hopes the hawker centre and the nearby monument commemorating the Japanese armed forces’ surrender can complement one another. More visitors and higher hawker earnings remain the council’s aims, not measured results of the completed works. Wee also urged traders to keep stalls clean and display prices clearly.