By Shikin Louis
KUCHING, May 10: Sarawak Ministry of Tourism, Creative Industry, and Performing Arts (MTCP) has no plans to gazette any area as a heritage zone along racial lines, including Krokop, but a proposal can be submitted to the Sarawak Museum Department for consideration.
Deputy Minister of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Dato Snowdan Lawan said this when responding to Pujut assemblyman Adam Yii Siew Sang during question time in the Sarawak Legislative Assembly (DUS) sitting here today.
Yii had asked whether the Ministry have plans to consider Krokop for designation as a heritage zone in recognition of its historical significance as one of the earliest settlements established by the Chinese community in Miri City to boost cultural tourism in Miri and Sarawak.
To this, Snowdan stressed that the Ministry and Sarawak Museum Department do not have a plan to gazette any area as a heritage zone along racial lines.
“Nevertheless, a proposal for Krokop to be designated as a heritage site can be submitted to the Sarawak Museum Department for consideration,” he said.
Yii also queried the criteria for considering any building, monument, or site to be declared and gazetted as heritage and the procedures to be undertaken for gazetting.
In response, Snowdan cited that under Section 32(1) of Sarawak Heritage Ordinance 2019, the Director shall establish and maintain a register, known as the Sarawak Heritage Register, containing the lists of buildings situated in Sarawak which were built before the year 1940 and are of such historical significance to warrant their preservation; are of special architectural, artistic or cultural interest or beauty; or are closely associated or connected with a person or an event important to the history of Sarawak.
The same Section also states that the Sarawak Heritage Register must contain underwater heritage objects or sites; heritage buildings or sites; historical sites having natural or cultural heritage; or traditional knowledge or traditional cultural expression, and is in the opinion of the Director ought to be retained as a heritage.
For the gazetting procedures, he said the Sarawak Museum Department will conduct a comprehensive study to evaluate historical or heritage significance, followed by a report which will be prepared for the Director’s approval.
“If required, then the proposal will be referred to the Sarawak Heritage Council,” he emphasised. — DayakDaily
