THE Sarawak Museum Department is among 44 museum agencies from Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, and France participating in the national-level International Museum Day 2024 in Penang from May 12 to 22.
Themed ‘Museum for Education and Research’, Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said the department will showcase an exhibition ‘Urang Sarawak: Come Learn With Us’, emphasising niche practices like taxidermy, conservation, and heritage research.
In addition to this, the Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Minister said about 35 participants were sent to take part in various sports and activities, including Museum Titan, Tug of Dragon Boat, seminars, workshops, and cultural demonstrations, contributing to a vibrant celebration highlighting the educational role of cultural institutions.
Touching on the international collaboration, he said the Museum Department actively pursues national and international collaborations to achieve its goal of becoming a Globally Engaged Centre of History and Heritage by 2030.
Among the noteworthy collaborations are research with the Natural History Museum of London on an ancient elephant tooth found in Niah Caves which enhances the understanding of Borneo’s past.
“Apart from this, Sarawak and Hungary had also forged a significant relationship through collaborations with the Embassy of Hungary, Museum of Ethnography, and University of Debrecen, Hungary, in organising a joint exhibition about Hungarian explorer Janos Xanthus while in Sarawak during the 1870s.
“There is also the collaboration between French School of Asian Studies in Kuala Lumpur (EFEO) and the Sarawak Museum which started at the end of last year which resulted in the discovery of an ancient metallurgy site dating between 10th and 13th century at Sungai Jaong archaeological site in Santubong.
“This significant finding enhances Sarawak’s archaeology history and inspires future archaeological research,” he said in his ministerial winding-up speech today.
