Chinese New Year decorations hung up in Jonker Walk, Malaysian southern Malacca city's most famous street, will stay in place as a permanent attraction after the festive period, local media reported on Thursday.

The decorations in the 700m-long street, which include huge Chinese lanterns, will be maintained under the Tourism Ministry's beautification program, for which the ministry has allocated 50,000 ringgit (14,706 U.S. dollars), according to report by the New Straits Times.

The permanent lanterns, lightings and colorful decorations meant that the Malacca state and Jonker Walk residents need not fork out a huge sum of money each year to beautify the street, Kota Melaka member of parliament Wong Nai Chee said.

This Chinese New Year, a huge billboard with New Year messages in Chinese will be built at the entrance to Jonker Walk. The multipurpose billboard can also be used on other occasions.

Malaysia is a multi-ethnic country consisting of three major ethnics -- the Malays, Chinese and Indians.

(Xinhua News Agency January 18, 2008)