Sarawak seeking Unesco recognition for Brooke-era forts
Kuching's Fort Margherita, currently the Brooke Gallery, is one of 14 surviving forts from the era. – filepic
KUCHING: Sarawak is pursuing recognition from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) for its Fort Trails initiative, which showcases the historical and cultural legacy of 23 forts dating back to the Brooke era.
The initiative was among the main topics discussed during a recent courtesy visit by state Deputy Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Minister Datuk Snowdan Lawan to Unesco headquarters in Paris.
In a statement Friday (May 23), his ministry said Fort Trails represents more than just architectural conservation, as it also embodies the oral traditions and collective memories of Sarawak's multi-ethnic communities.
"The forts were often built with the support of local communities who contributed belian timber, labour, food, and knowledge of the terrain. Their stories have been passed down through generations,' said Snowdan.
Of the 23 historical forts, only 14 remain standing. However, the state regards both the surviving structures and the intangible cultural heritage linked to them as a vital part of Sarawak's identity.
Snowdan said the ministry would collaborate with the National Heritage Department, the federal Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry, and Malaysia's Permanent Delegation to Unesco to pursue the recognition.
He also shared Sarawak's aspirations during a meeting with Unesco Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage secretary Fumiko Ohinata, noting plans to eventually nominate other cultural practices from the state's 34 ethnic communities.
In a separate discussion with Unesco World Heritage Centre deputy director Jyoti Hosagrahar, Snowdan spoke about the relevance of the Unesco Culture 2030 Indicators to Sarawak's development goals.
"We see the inscription of Niah Caves as a World Heritage Site not only as a celebration of our ancient history but also as a platform to promote sustainable crafts and local livelihoods,' he said. – Bernama
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Free Malaysia Today
4 days ago
- Free Malaysia Today
Egypt denies court ruling threatens historic monastery
An Egyptian court ruled that St Catherine's monastery sat on state-owned land. (AFP file pic) CAIRO : Egypt and Greece sought to ease tensions over the historic St Catherine's monastery in the Sinai peninsula on Friday after a controversial court ruling said it sat on state-owned land. Cairo has denied that the ruling threatens the UNESCO world heritage landmark, after Greek and church authorities warned of the sacred site's status. St Catherine's monastery was established in the sixth century at the biblical site of the burning bush in the southern mountains of the Sinai peninsula, and is the world's oldest continually inhabited Christian monastery. A court in Sinai ruled on Wednesday in a land dispute between the monastery and the South Sinai governorate that the monastery 'is entitled to use' the land, which 'the state owns as public property'. But on Friday, in a phone call with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said Cairo was 'fully committed to preserving the unique and sacred religious status of Saint Catherine's monastery, and ensuring it is not violated'. The Greek premier's office said Mitsotakis emphasised the importance of 'preserving the pilgrimage and Greek Orthodox character of the monastery and resolving the issue in an institutional manner', based on an agreement between the two countries. A Greek delegation is due to visit Egypt next week, the government in Athens said. Sisi's office has defended the court ruling, saying that it 'consolidates' the site's sacred status, after the head of the Greek Orthodox church in Greece denounced it. Tourism development Archbishop Ieronymos of Athens called the court ruling 'scandalous' and an infringement by Egyptian judicial authorities of religious freedoms. He said the decision means 'the oldest Orthodox Christian monument in the world, the Holy Monastery of Saint Catherine in Mount Sinai, now enters a period of severe trial – one that evokes much darker times in history'. The Saint Catherine area, which includes the eponymous town and a nature reserve, is undergoing mass development under a controversial government megaproject aimed at bringing in mass tourism. Observers say the project has harmed the reserve's ecosystem and threatened both the monastery and the local community. Archbishop Ieronymos warned that the monastery's property would now be 'seized and confiscated', despite 'recent pledges to the contrary by the Egyptian President to the Greek Prime Minister'. Greek foreign minister Giorgos Gerapetritis contacted his Egyptian counterpart Badr Abdelatty on Thursday, saying 'there was no room for deviation from the agreements between the two parties', the ministry's spokesperson said. In a statement to Egypt's state news agency, the foreign ministry in Cairo later said rumours of confiscation were 'unfounded', and that the ruling 'does not infringe at all' on the monastery's sites or its religious and spiritual significance. Greek government spokesman Pavlos Marinakis said 'Greece will express its official position … when the official and complete content of the court decision is known and evaluated'. He confirmed both countries' commitment to 'maintaining the Greek Orthodox religious character of the monastery'.
New Straits Times
6 days ago
- New Straits Times
NST Leader: Revitalising urban areas
IN a world where science and technology dominate, the old eventually make way for the new. Antiquated vehicles, buildings and infrastructure are rapidly demolished and replaced. Fashion is dictated by youthful trends, and new ideas bring fresh paradigms and ideologies. Tech startups are overhauling the way we work, play, love, eat and trade. The young, armed with more money, power and influence, tear through tradition, devoid of sentimentality. But they are persuaded to compromise: they are allowed to flatten swathes of the past provided they retain some of the ruins. For instance, the Porta de Santiago gate of the 15th century Portuguese fortress of A Famosa in Melaka, lies surrounded by a water theme park, safari, golf course, hotel and shopping mall. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation designated it a World Heritage site. In developing the BBCC Lalaport mall in Kuala Lumpur, the developers maintained the Pudu Jail main gate. Sometimes, developers are denied. In the 1990s, a major developer could have bulldozed Stadium Merdeka, Stadium Negara and Victoria Institution. Fortunately, common sense prevailed: the historical sites went unmolested. Against this backdrop, Kuala Lumpur City Hall was implored to retain historical elements in redeveloping 139 areas to include memories of the original communities that had developed strong cultural roots and identity. Progress cannot be allowed to destroy national heritage. The Urban Renewal Act (URA) has been touted as a pragmatic platform to redevelop dilapidated urban areas and improve quality of life. Let's make one thing clear: rapid development is not a bad idea but capricious development is, especially if it damages historic neighbourhoods, hometowns and cities. Malaysia has to at least stop constructing buildings that are later neglected to the point of deformity. Instead of demolishing, city fathers must create thoughtful urban design, strengthened by political will to overcome long-term short-sightedness. In justifying development, the URA may prove to be a useful and powerful development tool but in its current framework, its deployment is reactionary, created to mend previous decades of myopic development decisions. The Act's impact on property rights, gentrification and displacement of low-income residents cannot be overstated. Solutions are available: the URA's goals, procedures and impact must involve communities during planning and decision-making. The URA should integrate with broader urban planning strategies because its complexities are underscored by strong arguments on both sides. The ideal outcome is not only to redevelop and revitalise urban areas, but also protect residents' rights and well-being with fair compensation and spacious and liveable replacement housing.
New Straits Times
27-05-2025
- New Straits Times
Headhunter's parang among artefacts donated to Sarawak Museum
KUCHING: A century-old parang, reportedly snatched by a Tebakang man from headhunters, has been donated to the Sarawak Museum Department as a historical artefact. Tebakang, a small town some 55km from here and close to the Sarawak-Kalimantan border, is of historical significance as one of the early settlement areas for the Bidayuh people. During the Brooke era, Tebakang served as a fortified outpost. Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Minister Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, in narrating the story of the ancient parang in the state legislative assembly today, said the donor, Mangu Bueng, claimed the blade had been with his family for almost 100 years. He said Mangu claimed that the parang originally belonged to a group of headhunters who confronted a member of the family and his wife in the early 1900s. In the ensuing fight, he snatched the parang from his attackers. He brought the parang back home to Kampung Tebakang Bidayuh, where it became a treasured family heirloom. The parang has since remained with his family, being passed down through the generations, before it was donated to the Sarawak Museum. The museum is the guardian of Sarawak and Borneo's shared heritage. The parang was one of five artefacts donated to the museum recently, Karim said. He said the museum also received two Lun Bawang sunhats from the Lavery family in the United Kingdom. John Lavery, the son of Bill and Pam Lavery, who brought the sunhats to the UK, donated them to the Sarawak Museum for safekeeping. The authentic sunhats were obtained during the formation of Malaysia in 1963, when Bill Lavery was posted to a school in Limbang that same year as a teacher. He later served as headmaster in the school under the Colombo Plan of External Aid of the Canadian government to Sarawak. The Laverys left Sarawak in 1965, taking the sunhats as souvenirs. Karim said the museum has also received donations of two unglazed ceramic vases that were fished from the sea off Santubong. The donor, Mohd Rizal Bujang, claimed the pottery was discovered in the 1970s by his late father Bujang Abdullah together with his friends, Ibni Zen and Othman Zen, while fishing off the fishing village on the mouth of Sungai Sarawak, Karim told the state assembly. Santubong was once an important trading port between the 7th and 13th centuries CE. This period corresponds to the time of early regional trade networks in Southeast Asia linking the Malay Archipelago, India and China. Chinese ceramics from the Tang and Song dynasties were among the archaeological finds in Santubong. Karim also told the assembly that the Sarawak Museum Department, exercising its powers under the Sarawak Heritage Ordinance (SHO) 2019, on Feb 12 had gazetted 14 historical sites, buildings, monuments and underwater heritage. The gazetted sites, buildings, monuments and underwater heritage are: Rumah Panjang Melanau Kampong Sok in Matu; Rumah Sri Tanjung, a former government rest house at Tanjung Lobang in Miri; Sacred Heart Church at Sungai Bawan in Kanowit; Makam Dato Permaisuri in Miri; Pusara Ali Wallace, Kampung Jaie, Sadong Jaya; Kubur Shariff Skrang, Kampung Igan, Matu; Tapak Masjid Bandaraya Kuching; the Beting Maro battle ground; Lombong Arang Batu (coal quarry) Brooke at Gunung Ngeli in Simunjan; Batu Ritong in Pa' Lungan, Bario; the site of a skirmish between the army and communist terrorists at Kampung Jangkar, Lundu; Tuang Schist in Semeba, Kuching; Folded Schist Demak, Kuching; and a Japanese landing craft at Brighton Beach in Miri.
