By Nancy Nais
KUCHING, Dec 28: The Sarawak government will preserve old buildings across Sarawak by gazetting them as heritage monuments and sites while at the same time, bringing back cultural and historical objects belonging to Sarawak.
Minister of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said among those that will be gazetted in 2023 include Batu Lintang World War II Prison Camp (1941), Sungai Bawan Sacred Heart Church (1900), Kuching City Mosque (1847), ‘Japanese Landing Craft’ (1941), Batu-batu Narit in Bario and Ba’kelalan.
Gazetting these buildings was one of the topics discussed at the Sarawak Heritage Council meeting today.
“Apart from buildings, we also discussed on the return of the Badeng community’s ‘Sun Hat’ from the Pitt Rivers Museum in Oxford, United Kingdom to the Sarawak through the Sarawak Museum Department. This sun hat is part of a set of six objects documented in the Sarawak Museum Acquisition Register.
“In 1905, Rajah Charles Brooke established a mini Sarawak Museum in Cirencester. This particular sun hat is one of the objects exhibited at the museum.
“After the museum was closed in 1917, this object was donated by the Brooke family to Pitt Rivers Museum,” Abdul Karim told reporters at a press conference.
Meanwhile, the Raja Permaisuri Agong, Tunku Hajah Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah, has consented to give her 35-year-old Sarawak Keringkam (an embroidered shawl traditionally worn by local Malay women in Sarawak) to the Borneo Cultures Museum to be displayed to the public.
At the same time, the committee also discussed on several individuals who’ve intended to donate historical treasures to Sarawak Museum Department.
“Dato Richard Curtis has handed over his ‘Sarawak Proper’ map in the form of a sketch. This map measuring 111cm x 99.5cm is believed to have been drawn around 1890s. ‘Sarawak Proper’ refers to the area around Kuching and is now known as the First Division of Sarawak.
“Dr David McLanahan wishes to hand over some Bidayuh and Orang Ulu necklaces including accessories to the Sarawak Museum Department.
“Another individual J.B. Lim from Penang wanted to donate two machete blades known as Parang Ilang Mandau,” Abdul Karim said.
He added that the return and donation of these artifacts to the Sarawak Museum Department shows that the community is aware about the importance of preservation and conservation of Sarawak’s heritage and treasures.
The council which was established in accordance with Section 3 of Sarawak Heritage Ordinance 2019 is led by Abdul Karim, several senior government officials and five experts in matters related to the preservation and conservation of heritage.
The five experts are Dr. Peter Mulok Kedit (Ethnology), Datu Dr. Sanib Said (History), Dr. Ipoi Datan (Archaeology), Prof. Assoc. Ar. IDr. Haris Fadzilah Abdul Rahman (Conservation building) and James Yong Shoon Loi (Sarawak Heritage Society). — DayakDaily
