Sarawak pushes to protect 1859 St Paul’s Anglican Church in Lingga as heritage landmark

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By DayakDaily Team

SRI AMAN, June 26: The Sarawak government has proposed that Saint Paul’s Anglican Church in Banting, Lingga, built in 1859, be gazetted as a heritage site under the Sarawak Heritage Ordinance 2019, in a move to ensure the State’s historic treasures are preserved for future generations.

Deputy Minister for Creative Industry and Performing Arts Datuk Snowdan Lawan said the church holds significant historical and heritage value, warranting official recognition to secure its long-term conservation and protection.

“The gazettement would help safeguard the site from uncontrolled development, while also strengthening the cultural identity of the local community and enriching Sarawak’s wider heritage assets,” he said in a Sarawak Public Communication Unit (Ukas) news.

Snowdan highlighted this when officiating the Pantu District Merarau Ngiling Tikai Gawai Dayak ceremony at the Sri Aman Civic Centre on Thursday (June 25).

The Balai Ringin assemblyman added that the initiative would also encourage greater community participation in heritage conservation efforts, thereby raising public awareness on the importance of preserving historical landmarks.

“However, the gazettement process can only proceed following approval from the Anglican Church, particularly the Bishops of the Anglican Church of Sarawak and Brunei,” he added.

At the same event, he announced an allocation of RM20,000 to the Pantu District Office to support social and cultural programmes, while Sri Aman MP Dato Sri Doris Sophia Brodie, through her representative, contributed RM10,000.

Also present were Sri Aman Divisional Resident Mahra Salleh, Pantu District Officer Raca Mulong, Sri Aman District Police chief Supt Dennis Bunyam, Sri Aman District Officer representative Joshua Martin Jantan, and Lingga District Officer representative Nurshazani Fadli Salihin. — DayakDaily

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