Category Archives: Food for Thought/Opinions

Waterfront Hotel is too much (SHS Press release, 01 Dec. 2015)

[last update: 09 Jan. 2016]   Below is the Sarawak Heritage Society press release dated 1 December 2015 entitled “Waterfront Hotel is too much“. It expresses concerns over the placing of a sizeable signage for new Waterfront Hotel (Kuching) right in front of the historic Round Tower building and over the access road to the […]

On Kuching’s left bank kampungs (villages)

Several of our members have been wondering about the nature of the programme to revamp the kampung (village) area on the left bank of the Sarawak river in Kuching. The Borneo Post published recently a column by Thomas Ong  commenting on this programme. Extracts “[…] The numerous Malay kampungs along the north bank of the […]

Partnership for heritage management: Penang and Aga Khan Development Network

Partnerships can be valuable elements in heritage management. “Partners” to the public authorities in charge of cultural heritage may provide know-how or financing; through knowledge dissemination and advocacy, they may contribute to awareness creation and policy reform. Local civil society partners can provide precious links between Government institutions and communities. Businesses or academics, and their […]

On the ‘Golden Bridge’ project, Kuching

[article updated 25 Nov. 2015] Also, if you are not an assiduous reader of the Borneo Post, you may not have seen the column published on 18 Oct. 2015 on the ‘Golden Bridge’ project (as illustrated above, a showy pedestrian bridge across the Sarawak river from the Old Court House to the DUN, Kuching’s State Assembly […]

Brainstorming on Sarawak tourism highlights importance and issues of heritage conservation and management

“SARAWAK TOURISM FORUM 2015”: At the end of last May, the Sarawak Tourism Federation (STF, Sarawak’s major association of tourism stakeholders) held, with the support of the Sarawak Government, a brainstorming forum to discuss the state and future of Sarawak’s tourism industry.  Members of the Sarawak Heritage Society were invited to join. Working groups were […]

Uncertain fate for Penang’s magnificent colonial mansions

Say “Penang heritage” and most of us will think of George Town’s shophouses and Chinese mansions (such as the well known Blue Mansion). But there is more: up to the 1950’s, a number of imposing colonial houses, “castle-mansions” and bungalows have sprouted around the old town. Some of these buildings housed the top ranks of […]