The Sarawak Museum Department can play a larger role in promoting cultural and creative industries (CCI), in addition to protecting and preserving the heritage of Sarawak.

In highlighting this, Premier of Sarawak Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg said this would thereby encourage the growth of the CCI under the purview of the state’s Ministry of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts.

“This, in turn, would contribute to the growth of Sarawak’s gross domestic product (GDP) by encouraging jobs and having other direct and indirect economic effects in the services sector,” he spoke at the opening of the Borneo Cultures Museum (BCM) here tonight.

Adding on, Abang Johari said the concept of using museums as a stimulus for the growth of the cultural economy was ‘a proven one’, which had bred success and thus, becoming more popular in developed and developing countries – listing the Bilbao Guggenheim Museum in Spain, National Museum of China in Beijing and Shanghai Science and Technology Museum, as examples.

Similarly, he said the BCM, which had been outfitted with interactive displays and modern exhibition technology, would also function as a catalyst to boost science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education in society.

Furthermore, he regarded BCM as being able to play a forefront role in disseminating knowledge derived from data and research, on the back of the museum’s extensive collections.

“As a world-class repository, the BCM is anticipated to serve as a centre of learning, attracting more academics and researchers from both local and international institutions, in our effort to be enriched with more knowledge from Borneo’s rich history, cultures, and nature.

“I believe that this research-driven objective of the museum would augur well with the ability of our society in appreciating the importance of research, and be imbibed with the ‘research culture’ in order to generate data, undeniably a priceless commodity in the digital economic environment,” he added.

Abang Johari pointed out that this was also in line with the state government’s aim of developing an economy that would be ‘data-driven’, where the data could move, operate, or control nearly every action.

“This aligns with the state’s strategic aim of creating human capital and driving digital adoption, emphasising on digital competencies towards developing digital and creative talents for its workforce,” he said.

Touted as the largest museum in Malaysia and the second largest in Southeast Asia, the Borneo Cultures Museum was officially declared open by the Yang di-Pertua Negeri Sarawak Tun Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud.

Costing RM323 million, the museum is strategically located in the heart of Kuching, and set to have increased accessibility with the forthcoming Autonomous Rapid Transit (ART) system.

It covers 6,000 square metres of exhibition space over three floors – each meant to showcase objects on natural history, archaeology and culture in a thematic manner; an adjoining Annex Building is allocated for staff offices, collection storage area and laboratory.

The combined total floor space is approximately 31,000 square metres.

In his remarks made earlier, Minister of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performance Arts Sarawak Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said with the increased prominence of Sarawak as a cultural and ecotourism centre in the region, there was a call for the state government to consider building a new museum complex in the early 2000s.

“Realising the timeliness and significance of this idea, in 2014 the government of Sarawak had put forward its strategic intent to establish a ‘Museum Campus’ not as an economic indicator, but also as a showcase of the diverse community living in harmony.

“I am confident that the Borneo Cultures Museum, beside the old Sarawak Museum, will be the pride of Sarawak people,” he said, pointing out that the opening of BCM was much anticipated by many people from various backgrounds as it signified Sarawak’s rich cultural, natural and historical heritage, and their close relationship with the local communities and also global society.

“Museums are a strong institution. They talk to you through the exhibitions and bring back all the memories. The museum contents were created by experts from multi-disciplinary backgrounds, meant to help us understand and achieve the ideal approach for any exhibition that we created,” he said.

Also present at the event were Taib’s wife Toh Puan Datuk Patinggi Raghad Kurdi Taib, Deputy Premier of Sarawak Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas, federal Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri and Sarawak Museum Department director Tazudin Mohtar.

The BCM will open to public this March 9, and visitors are encouraged to pre-book visits via https://museum.sarawak.gov.my.

Entry is limited to 500 visitors inside the building at a given time.

Source:
courtesy of THE BORNEO POST

by IRENE C

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