Kameri (right) hands over the working paper documents to Ik Pahon (left), witnessed by Abang Johari (third left) and Sikie.
KUCHING: A Wallace Centre will materialise here soon to compliment the Darwin Centre in London, where visitors can learn about Sarawak’s rich biodiversity.
According to Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Openg, the Wallace Centre would be vital to the state as he (Wallace) had been in the state to conduct studies, which must be exhibited as an attraction.
The centre is named after and in tribute of Alfred Russel Wallace, a British naturalist, explorer, geographer, anthropologist and biologist, noted for his fieldwork in Sarawak in the 1850s and who had jointly published with renowned naturalist Charles Darwin the theory of evolution by natural selection.
“Our biodiversity in Sarawak is second to none in the world and we want to attract scientists from all over the world to come here,” said Abang Johari, who is also Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture.
The Sarawak Museum Department would work closely with its counterparts from the British Museum on details of the project, said Abang Johari at the briefing and handing over of duty from the Ministry of Youth and Sports and Solidarity to the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture at the State Legislative Assembly (DUN) complex yesterday.
“Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Adenan Satem has said after the state election that he wanted a holistic approach in tourism promotion to include arts where local talents have a proven record,”.
“We are rich in culture and it is vital that we exploit the talents in performing arts,” he said.
Abang Johari added that a special task force would be formed together with Assistant Minister of Tourism Datuk Lee Kim Shin to work on the project.
“This will be another attraction for visitors to Sarawak, and we believe it is not only culture that they want but more beyond that. The government has decided that it needs to migrate from relying on exporting commodity to expanding to the service sector,” he said.
On a related matter, Abang Johari said performing arts was an emerging area where one particular project would be undertaken by the private sector.
“A warehouse in Bintawa will be transformed into an avenue specially for performing arts and we believe it is a place where we can grow talents,” he said.
Assistant Minister for Arts and Culture Datuk John Sikie Tayai, permanent secretary to the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture Datu Ik Pahon Joyik and permanent secretary to the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Solidarity Kameri Affendi were also present at the briefing.