Sarawak will be governed by the law protecting heritage

KUCHING, Sept. 21: Sarawak will enact new laws to regulate and protect buildings, monuments and heritage assets across the region from being affected by ongoing development.

Sarawak Tourism, Creative Industries and Performing Arts Minister Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said the legislation is among measures to ensure that the state's heritage treasures are preserved for future generations.

"However, before the law is introduced, we must first involve the community in the field and especially the owners of the premises. We can't go on doing that without regard for their views. That's not fair.

"We need to hold a round-the-clock session and explain to them that these assets will be protected for the future", he said at a press conference after launching Heritage Future: Voices of Old Kuching, here today.

He said that among the areas to be initially focused are Gambir Road, Main Bazaar and Indian Way which houses various buildings as well as historical monuments including Old Court House, Round Tower, Square Tower and Indian Mosque.

He said that the interests of the premises owners will also be taken into consideration through a settlement session before any area or building is declared, including provision of compensation if necessary.

Karim explained that the need to strengthen heritage protection is increasingly important following urban development, including implementation of Autonomous Transit Flow (ART) which requires careful planning to ensure development does not affect historical assets.

"If we don't plan properly, parts of this building could be torn down or damaged.

"So, with certain provisions of laws and regulations to regulate and protect these old buildings and monuments, it can be preserved for future generations", he said.

He said the heritage efforts not only involved buildings but also included other heritage elements including the cotton trees in Padang Merdeka which are proposed to be heritage.

He said, the notification process will be implemented in phases with the government assessing one per heritage assets across Sarawak to determine priorities.