KUCHING: Sarawak will see the opening of new museums and galleries this year as they are popular among tourists.
Minister of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said the Brooke Dockyard Industrial Heritage Museum, Santubong Archaeological Park, the Wallace Centre, Limbang Museum and Rumah Sri Aman Gallery will open to visitors.
While the content development works are still ongoing for the old Sarawak Museum, the Sarawak Museum Department will open the building to tours starting next month, he said.
“Moreover, there are 14 projects under the Sarawak Museum Department in which six are to conserve and upgrade Fort Emma, Fort Brooke, Fort Lili, Fort Hose, Fort Sylvia, and Fort Arundell,” he said.
He said this during the Sarawak Department of Museums Malam Apresiasi dan Jalinan Kasih’ yesterday (Feb 14) at Pullman Hotel here.
Abdul Karim said the recently opened Borneo Cultures Museum was awarded the Malaysia Tourism Council Gold Award for Museum of the Year (2022) last year.
He said the second largest museum in Southeast Asia and the largest in Malaysia has received a total of 600,165 visitors as of Feb 13 this year.
The iconic museum contains a total of 1,462 artefact collections, including a display of two keringkam belonging to Raja Permaisuri Agong Tunku Hajah Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah.
“There are two museums nearby the Borneo Cultures Museum, namely the Islamic Heritage Museum and Natural History Museum which are open to visitors.
“The Sultan Tengah Mausoleum located in Santubong is now reopen to visitors effective Feb 1.
“From the period of 2022 until February this year, other museums in Sarawak excluding the Borneo Cultures Museum recorded a total of 171,643 visitors,” he added.
