Sarawak Heritage Society wants funds from Budget 2017

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Dato Sri Robert Jacob Ridu

Dato Sri Robert Jacob Ridu

KUCHING: Sarawak Heritage Society hopes that funds and incentives for heritage are included in the Budget 2017 to retain Sarawak’s unique heritage, not just for Sarawakians, but also visitors and the whole world.

Its president Dato Sri Robert Jacob Ridu said this would include funds from the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture for the setting up and operation of small, competent staffed unit or bureau dedicated to policy formulation and oversight on heritage (tangible and intangible) regulation and management, and the development and implementation of programmes (this should not be confused with museum functions).

“We also hope that there will be a development budget set aside, a sizeable annual grant for contribution towards the conservation of varied publicly and privately-owned heritage assets, whether tangible or intangible.”

The society also hoped that financial incentives to assist privately owned heritage assets, tangile and intangible, in order to conserve and maintain their assets for posterity, he said.

“Sarawak has an extraordinary history and a milieu of people, bringing together a real confluence over the years. This has brought about a unique and gradual fusion of the way of life of people which is sometimes called the Sarawakian way.

“This has made Sarawak a verdant place for good, secure, pleasant and quality living. Thus, it is in everyone’s interest that Sarawak’s heritage is robustly protected and further enhanced by all and sundry, and by the state government,” he said.