BORNEO’s biggest and Southeast Asia’s second-biggest museum in Kuching finally opened its doors to visitors.

Built at a cost of RM323 million, described as “the biggest development project in the history of the Sarawak Museum, the brand new museum and its annexe building have a total floor space of 31,000sq m with 6,638sq m allocated for exhibitions.

The museum was fully funded by the Sarawak government.

Sarawak Governor Abdul Taib Mahmud opened the museum, an act which was postponed several times due to the Covid-19 pandemic

State Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Minister Abdul Karim Hamzah said the new museum, housed in a five-storey building, will showcase Sarawak’s diverse ethnic groups and their unique arts, culture and heritage.

“Our unique diversity in ethnicity, culture and heritage has provided an exciting setting and experience to tourists from all over the world,” he said.

The new museum is adjacent to the 131-year-old “old Sarawak museum” in the heart of Kuching city.

The Sarawak Museum, prior to its closure to restore the building built in the style of a Normandy townhouse, is reputed to have one of the best collections in Southeast Asia.

“The Borneo cultures museum will enhance the image of the city and it will be an instant catalysts of city revitalisation.

“It will become the focus and must-stop destination for tourists. With its rich and unique exhibition, (it) will definitely lengthen the stay of tourists in Sarawak,” Karim added

Premier Abang Johari Openg said in addition to protecting and preserving the state’s heritage, he would like to see Sarawak’s museums play a role similar to the Bilbao Guggenheim museum in Spain, the national museum of China in Beijing, and the Shanghai science and technology museum “as a stimulus for the growth of the cultural economy”.

The Bilbao Guggenheim museum, he said, had created “a tremendous effect that has become a stimulating environment for the entire city’s development”, while the two Chinese museums received over 14.4 million visitors in 2018.

“(They) are undeniably strong pull factors in drawing tourists thus boosting the city’s economic growth.

“These are the kinds of positive outcomes that the Sarawak government is aiming for when the Sarawak Museum Campus Initiative was approved in 2014.”

The Sarawak Museum Department, in a press release, said state-of-the-art technology is used to showcase over a thousand artefacts that represent the state’s culture and history in the permanent exhibitions section.

The museum will open it doors to the public on March 9.

Visitors are limited to 500 people in the building at a time and are thus advised to book a place in advance. – March 5, 2022.