Sabah gazettes 24 heritage sites

PETALING JAYA (Feb 23): Sabah’s State Heritage Council has gazetted 24 heritage sites in Sabah — including the Sabah Tourism Board building (formerly the Kota Kinabalu post office) and the Atkinson Clock Tower — as it seeks to preserve the land below the wind’s heritage and culture while tapping into their tourism potential.

State Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Masidi Manjun listed the Kota Kinabalu community hall, Padang Merdeka, “Mat Salleh” monument in Tambunan and Bukit Tengkorak archeological site in Semporna as some of the gazette locations.

“State Heritage Council is also in the midst of gazetting seven more — among them Melalap train station, Tenom; Dewan Turnball in Maktab Sabah here; Kent teaching college, Tuaran; and Batu Tinagat lighthouse, Tawau,” he said in a report by the New Straits Times.

However, the state government will leave the gazetted properties with their original owners, said Masidi.

He added that the state government will also begin recognising individuals with expertise in certain fields through a new enactment that was passed during the state assembly sitting last year.

“This is to allow them to become our point of reference such as on customs... We want their knowledge to be shared with the new generation,” he said.