Executive chairman Tan Sri Lim Kim Hong said this is part of the company’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) programme, which will run from November 21 this year until February 20 next year.
Central Walk is a multi-block leisure, shopping and hospitality spine of i-City encompassing a theme park, the 1.5 million sq ft Central i-City Mall, the i-City convention centre, Best Western Hotel, the five-star Double Tree by Hilton and High Street retail spaces.
Lim said I-Berhad is talking to telecommunication providers, major operators of food and beverage outlets, and players in the automotive sector, among others, to take up the free space at Central Walk @ i-City.
“Central Walk @ i-City is the most appropriate setting for this programme due to its open-air concept. Business operators are bound to increase their sales. We are giving away 50,000 free water-park tickets to students under the CSR programme, while Central i-City Mall, which will open in early January, will offer almost 2,000 jobs.
“In terms of residents, there are 15,000 people living in i-City now. All these, coupled with the number of visitors to i-City every week, this CSR will provide opportunities to the business operators to boost their income,” Lim told NST Property.
The RM3 million CSR programme will feature major events, community and social activities, charity drives and festive celebrations. There will also be street activities, such as food fairs, night bazaars and street performances.
Lim said as an international park frequented by peoples from many nations, this programme will provide foreign investors and tourists a glimpse of Malaysian life while bridging the cultural divide between the international and local communities.
The RM9 billion i-City is an internationally recognised tourism destination, and has been named by CNN Travel as one of the world’s top 25 most colourful and brightest places.
Key attractions in i-City include the Red Carpet interactive wax museum, the snowfall experience at SnoWalk and the lightscape at the City of Digital Lights.