KUCHING: Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah has called on all parties to work together to jointly conduct research to elevate the heritage of Sarawak to the international level.
The Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister commended the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) inked between Sarawak Museum Department (SMD) and Heritage Conservation Centre (HCC) Singapore, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas), and Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) Sarawak.
“This MoU signifies the beginning of a mutually beneficial collaboration between SMD and these three organisations in identifying potential activities that will contribute to the development of research on culture and heritage in Sarawak.
“I believe that by bringing together these diverse minds and expertise, this MoU will be fertile ground for new ideas and fresh perspectives,” he said at the MoU signing ceremony between SMD and HCC Singapore, Unimas and UiTM Sarawak held at Pullman Hotel here on Thursday (Nov 11).
“Through the MoU signed today, SMD and HCC, Unimas and UiTM will look at opportunities that can be explored to develop research and conservation through SMD and to be realised optimally for the benefit of all parties and especially for the state,” he added.
Abdul Karim said this in-depth research collaboration was also in line with the aspirations of the state government to uphold the tangible and intangible cultural materials in Sarawak through United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) recognition.
“This is also an initiative to raise historical and famous sites in Sarawak such as Niah Cave through recognition by Unesco.”
With this, he said Sarawak would be recognised in the eyes of the world while local and foreign tourists would be attracted to visit this historic site.
“Findings of this research will be disseminated in the form of publications including books, journals, and magazines that can be used as reference materials for the public and researchers from higher learning institutions,” he added.
Abdul Karim pointed out that the Sarawak Museum Journal which was first published in 1911 had become a major source of reference and had been distributed around the world.
He said the MoU also involved heritage conservation between SMD and HCC, adding that HCC was an advisor for the existence of a conservation laboratory in the museum’s annex building.
“The expertise gained from HCC will open up the space for SMD to preserve the department’s collections with the best possible methods.
“I believe with good conservation techniques, we can extend the lifespan of artifacts such as historical and cultural materials, archaeological findings, and zoological specimens, so that they can be passed down to future generations as a source of reference, treasure, and their heritage,” he said.
The minister said the conservation of historical buildings, monuments and historic sites also helped in reviving the tourism industry and had a positive impact on Sarawak’s economy.
He added that SMD was entrusted to plan and implement a collaboration programme based on knowledge sharing through various platforms such as seminars, conferences, workshops and outreach programmes.
He emphasised that strategic partnerships among the experts in their respective fields were essential for knowledge dissemination to museum staff and local communities.
“The implementation of these programmes is one of the important and effective elements to ensure that the museum remains relevant as an institution providing resources, especially with regard to the history, heritage, and culture of the communities in Sarawak,” he said.
Abdul Karim said this in turn would lead to the exchange of expertise through research on historical materials, archaeological relics, and natural history specimens in SMD’s collections.
He said apart from these collections, specialised research could be carried out on buildings, monuments and historical sites in the state.
“We are in the process of gazetting quite a number of the forts in Sarawak. There are forts in practically every big town in Sarawak. Some of them have been gazetted as heritage sites while some have not, but we are still in the process of identifying them and gazetting them as historical sites,” he said.
Abdul Karim said all efforts like this required specific and detailed studies by experts in ensuring that these collections could be documented and investigated so that the information did not vanish over time.
