Sarawak plans to further develop Niah town following Unesco World Heritage Site recognition

KUCHING (July 30): Sarawak has plans to further develop the Niah town for tourism following the recognition of Niah National Park as a Unesco World Heritage Site recently.

Minister of Tourism, Creative Industry, and Performing Arts, Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said the proposed development is expected to attract more tourists, hence why the Sarawak government is willing to invest in infrastructure and facilities to accommodate and enhance the visitors’ experience.

“We want to do things such as building chalets and other necessary facilities in the town to support the expected rise in tourism.

“I don’t have the figure with me now, but the development plans are projected to cost millions of ringgit,” he said at a press conference at the Baitul Makmur II building here today.

He said the recognition of Niah National Park as a Unesco World Heritage Site is a tremendous honour for Sarawak, while the state government has already made significant investments in tourist facilities around it, particularly around the renowned Niah Cave.

These facilities, he said, aimed to enhance the overall experience for visitors, offering them comfortable and convenient amenities as they explore the park’s natural and historical wonders, adding that the journey to achieve Unesco World Heritage status for Niah National Park had been a lengthy process.

“We have applied for it to become a Unesco World Heritage Site seven years ago, which is why there are tourism facilities existing there already. We have been ready ever since we first sent in our application,” he said.

This global recognition was granted during the 46th World Heritage Committee Session, held from July 21 to 31 in New Delhi, India.

The nomination process for the Niah Caves Archaeological Site began in 2019, with the Tentative List document submitted to Unesco on Jan 22, 2021, and on Jan 31, 2023, the formal nomination documents were handed over to the Unesco Secretariat in Paris.

With this recognition, Sarawak now has two out of the five Unesco World Heritage sites in Malaysia, with Miri Division having the distinction of having both.

Mulu National Park was the first to be listed.

The other Unesco World Heritage sites in Malaysia are Kinabalu Park (certified in 2000), the Historic Cities of the Straits of Melaka, Melaka and George Town (certified in 2008), and the Archaeological Heritage of the Lenggong Valley, Perak (certified in 2012).