Latest news with #SabahCulturalHeritageConservationEnactment
Borneo Post
31-07-2025
- General
- Borneo Post
Yong: Restore original design and structure of KK Community Centre
Yong chatting with DBKK officers on duty at the Kota Kinabalu Community Centre. KOTA KINABALU (July 31): The Kota Kinabalu Community Centre, which was partially burnt recently, should be restored to its original design and structure with upgrading only to its toilets and cafe facilities in order to preserve its heritage status and culturally historic value, said former chief minister Datuk Yong Teck Lee. As is well known locally, the community centre has been the site of many momentous and historic events from the colonial era to today. The community centre was gazetted as a cultural heritage conservation site under the Sabah Cultural Heritage Conservation Enactment 1997. It remains protected as a heritage site, he said in a statement today. 'During my visit to the site today, I found that much of the original concrete walls at the main hall are not materially affected by the fire which occurred mainly on the east site of the hall. The roof, on the other hand, needs a complete reconstruction,' he said. Whatever the plans are for the site, he said there should be no demolition. 'Do not demolish and rebuild from the ground upwards because that would eliminate all memories of the historic events that occurred there and remove all traces of the historic building.' Yong recalled that in the 1980s, there were attempts to demolish the community hall and build a new commercial complex on the site. However, upon gazetting of the community centre as a cultural heritage conservation site in 1997, the hall has become a protected site, including protection from commercial interests. He called on the Kota Kinabalu City Hall (DBKK) and the Sabah Cultural Heritage Council to recognise the heritage value of the site, of which there are very few in Kota Kinabalu. 'We should resist the temptation to build another so-called modern convention centre to replicate a convention centre or commercial building that is devoid of cultural heritage. Cultural heritage cannot be replicated. Heritage is something that has withstood the test of time and has entered the collective psyche and memory of the local people,' he added. DBKK has announced the immediate closure of the Kota Kinabalu Community Centre following a fire incident in the early hours of Monday that caused extensive structural and property damage. The fire, which broke out around 1am, prompted DBKK to suspend all public use and bookings at the facility until further notice, as it begins a comprehensive damage assessment and restoration planning.
The Star
31-07-2025
- General
- The Star
Gutted historic KK hall must be restored to original design, says former Sabah CM
KOTA KINABALU: The historic Kota Kinabalu Community Centre, which was destroyed in a fire, must be restored with its original design and structure, says Datuk Seri Yong Teck Lee said. The former Sabah chief minister said upgrading should only be done for its toilets and cafe facilities in order to preserve its heritage status and culturally historical value. "It is a well-known community centre and has been the site of many momentous and historic events from the colonial era until today," he said. The community centre was gazetted as a Cultural Heritage Conservation site under the Sabah Cultural Heritage Conservation Enactment 1997. "It remains protected as a heritage site," he said during a visit to the community hall, which suffered 80% damage in a fire on Tuesday (July 29). "During my visit to the site, I found that much of the original concrete walls at the main hall are not materially affected by the fire, which occurred mainly on the east side of the hall. "The roof, on the other hand, needs a complete reconstruction," he said. Following the fire, Kota Kinabalu City Hall said that they were assessing the damages with an eye to restoring the post-World War II building that was opened in 1958. The Kota Kinabalu Community Hall is seen as a historical landmark in the city as it was used by the British colonial government, and was the site of major events, including gatherings for the formation of Malaysia. The hall stood as a post-war symbol of reconstruction, as most of Jesselton (the former name of Kota Kinabalu) was destroyed during the Allied liberation of Sabah from the Japanese. It was opened in 1958 by then British North Borneo governor Sir Roland Turnbull. Over the past six decades, the hall was a venue for community and political gatherings, exhibitions and sporting events such as boxing, badminton and basketball matches.
