The Sabah State Integrated Cultural Mapping System Development Project and the Restoration Study Project of the Old Office Building of the Welfare Services Office approved by the state government this year are among the efforts taken to conserve and protect cultural heritage as a symbol of the state’s civilization.

Chief Minister, Datuk Seri Panglima Hajiji Noor said the two new projects were approved under the Half-Term Review of the 12th Malaysia Plan (RMK12).

He said that RM2 million was allocated for the Sabah State Integrated Cultural Mapping System Development project while the Restoration Study of the Old Office Building of the Welfare Services Office involving an allocation of RM200,000.

“This mapping project aims to transform Sabah’s ethnic cultural information management method into a modern information system in line with the Government’s Digitization Plan.

“The study will witness the reconstruction of a historic building – the British North Borneo Chartered Company Office which was destroyed by fire in the past.

“This building also aims to conserve and protect historic sites and buildings, besides being an important cultural art gallery in Sabah. Both of these projects are new projects and are accountable to the Sabah State Cultural Board”, he said.

Hajiji said this at the opening ceremony of the Sabah Rumpun Bajausama Cultural Festival at the Bajausama Rumpun Cultural Centre Hall, Kampung Lok Batik Tuaran on Wednesday.

He said that various efforts were made by the government to enable the number of tourists to Sabah, which is expected to reach three million people this year, to be achieved.

According to him, in addition to arts and culture, tourism products such as Community-Based Tourism is a segment of ecotourism that is increasingly receiving attention from various levels of the local and international community.

He also urged ethnic associations in the state to continue to develop and dignify ethnic culture and community-based tourism products in their respective areas, in addition to working together to empower and preserve Sabah’s ethnic cultural heritage.

Hajiji said that Sabah’s uniqueness and diversity of heritage, ethnicity, culture and race is an important asset as a tourist attraction and must continue to be preserved and protected as a symbol of the civilization of the state.

Hajiji, who is also the president of the Sabah Rumpun Bajausama Association, hopes that the Sabah Bajausama Rumpun Cultural Festival, which has been going on for four days since last Sunday, will become a field for conserving cultural treasures in the state.

“It is also in line with the objective of organizing this festival, which is to preserve and dignify traditional culture and strengthen friendship among the local population.

“This festival, which has already been included in the tourism calendar, is not only attended by Bajausama clans but also enlivened by all levels of society of multiple races and ethnicities in this state”, he stressed.

He said the festival is also a medium that can attract the interest of the young generation to get involved in various artistic and cultural events of the Bajausama community in the state.

Source:
courtesy of THE BORNEO POST

by The Borneo Post

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