By Nancy Nais
KUCHING, Oct 19: Indigenous people and local communities must be recognised as custodians and active partners in heritage conservation, with their voices and leadership central to decisions affecting their heritage.
According to Minister for Tourism, Creative Industry, and Performing Arts Sarawak Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, Sarawak is seeking international partnerships to develop local conservation expertise through research and professional training; empower Indigenous communities to preserve traditional knowledge and engage younger generations; and promote responsible cultural tourism that generates sustainable livelihoods.
However, he said international cooperation should deliver tangible benefits beyond the assembly, including stronger local capabilities and practical initiatives that help communities safeguard their cultural identity.
While he highlighted cultural tourism’s potential to generate income, revive traditional crafts, and encourage younger generations to stay connected to their roots, Abdul Karim also cautioned that commercial opportunities must not come at the expense of cultural authenticity or community values.
“Tourism can create economic opportunities while helping to keep our traditions alive, but we must not reduce our cultures to performances for visitors.
“Communities must have the freedom to decide how their heritage is shared and to protect practices they consider sacred or private,” he said at the 22nd General Assembly and Scientific Symposium of the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS GA2026) here today.
He also stressed that conservation must go beyond protecting physical sites to ensure Indigenous knowledge, customs, craftsmanship, and cultural practices remain alive within communities.
“We cannot expect our traditions to survive simply because we have documented them or protected the places associated with them.
“Heritage survives when people continue to practise it, when communities have a role in protecting it, and when young people see a future in carrying it forward,” he said.
He added that climate change, natural disasters, and rapid urbanisation are putting cultural heritage and traditional ways of life under growing pressure.
He said the loss of heritage goes beyond the destruction of historic buildings and monuments, as it can also mean losing collective memory, cultural identity, and traditional knowledge passed down through generations.
“When heritage is lost, we lose more than physical structures. We also risk losing collective memory, cultural identity, traditional knowledge, and community continuity.
“Sarawak needed to combine scientific research, technological innovation, traditional knowledge and effective governance to strengthen its response to the growing challenges facing cultural heritage,” he said.
The ICOMOS GA2026, being hosted in Southeast Asia for the first time, has brought more than 1,500 heritage experts and professionals from 109 countries to Kuching.
The scientific symposium, themed ‘Living Heritage: Respect, Enhance, Accept, Partnership’, provides a platform for international experts, researchers, and conservation practitioners to exchange knowledge and explore ways to address challenges affecting cultural heritage.
Held from Oct 17 to 24, ICOMOS GA2026 also offers Sarawak an opportunity to build lasting international partnerships and strengthen its conservation capacity. — DayakDaily
