SARAWAK would not force the state’s heritage law on traditional shop owners in the historical parts of Kuching city to preserve the old buildings, said state tourism, arts and culture minister.

Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said though the state government would love to see the old shophouses converted into heritage buildings, the government would, however, not gazette any private property as heritage buildings without consulting them.

Some of the buildings, particularly along Main Bazaar, date back to before the arrival of the first white rajah, James Brooke.

Most of the city’s historical buildings are within “Rajah’s Kuching” – the Main Bazaar, Carpenter Street, India Street and the surrounding Malay villages.

None of the buildings that could be considered as heritage buildings in these parts of the city have been gazetted yet.

The buildings that have been gazetted under the new law so far are the old courthouse, all the forts built by the white rajahs throughout the state, including the famous Fort Margherita and the Astana, the official residence of the governor.

“We cannot bulldoze (the gazette) through without listening (to the owners first). It would not be fair.

“This is not an autocratic government. So, we have to take our time,” Karim said after launching a cultural mapping effort of the old Kuching bazaar by history buffs from the Kuching Old Market Community Association.

The state legislative assembly last year passed the Sarawak Heritage Bill to replace the “archaic” Sarawak Cultural Heritage Ordinance 1993.

Karim, in tabling the bill, said there was a need to have a better heritage law and a workable system to address a broader scope of heritage in relation to the protection, conservation and preservation of the state’s heritage.

The aim of the cultural mapping is to promote that old bazaar as a tourism spot.

Karim said there is not only a need to bring life back to the city, but also an “urgency to preserve and conserve our tradition and heritage”.

“There is a need to review and rejuvenate the old Kuching.”

There are around 200 traditional shop houses within the Kuching old bazaar area.

Modernisation has seen traditional trades disappearing and old residents slowly moving out from the area.

“We need to bring back life and activities to the area,” Karim said. – October 1, 2020.