Abdul Karim (second right) performing a gimmick to mark the launch of the Sarawak Museums Journal and Sarawak Museums App.
KUCHING (Feb 10): The state government has yet to decide on the official name for the new Sarawak Museum Complex, said Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah.
He was however hopeful that the state government would stick to Borneo Cultures Museum as its official name.
“Borneo is much well known by international scholars and researchers. Even though its name has not yet been decided, l hope Borneo Cultures Museum is to be maintained.
“It is set to be a new landmark in Kuching city. With its striking gold coloured structure, it is an icon. It is the second largest museum in South East Asia – second only to the national gallery in Singapore,” said Abdul Karim at the launch of Sarawak Museum Journal (SMJ) and the Sarawak Museums App at a hotel here today.
Among the those present at the event were Permanent secretary to the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture Hii Chang Kee and Sarawak Museum Director Tazudin Mohtar.
“We are looking forward to the opening of the new Borneo Cultures Museum in the coming months. It aims to become a lively place for social and cultural exchange and will also become a center for learning, knowledge and research through collaborations with local and international agencies and institutions,” said Abdul Karim.
During a press conference after the event, Abdul Karim who is also Minister of Youth and Sports, said the new Sarawak Museum Complex will not only be a place to display exhibits of the past but also, a research centre with the setting up of the Sarawak Museum Department’s Research Unit.
He said even before the official opening of the new museum complex, the department has already received 13 submissions for research projects but which will be firstly vetted and valued by a committee.
On the event proper, Abdul Karim said the Sarawak Museums App is one of the department’s initiatives to promote all of the museums in Sarawak through digital platforms.
“This is in line with the digital initiatives implemented by the state government to make Sarawak as one of the leading tourism destinations in Malaysia.
“By using the app, visitors are able to learn and get to know the collections in the museums and also be well informed on their activities and on-going exhibitions,” he said.
Meanwhile, Abdul Karim pointed out that the Sarawak Museum Journal (SMJ) publication was in fact reactivated this time around since it has not been published for several years.
First published in 1911, the SMJ was one of the leading museum publications in the region, covering wide range of research fields, especially in the studies of archaeology, anthropology, natural history, museology, ethnology and conservation, he stressed.
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