Six new heritage sites in Malaysia

PETALING JAYA: Kuala Lumpur’s Sultan Abdul Samad Mosque building, Melaka’s Gate of Santiago and Kota Baru’s Istana Jahar are among six historical buildings and structures that have been gazetted as national heritage sites.

The other three are the Stadthuys Building in Melaka as well as the Information Department Building and High Court Building in Kuala Lumpur.

On Dec 19, Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Mohamaddin Ketapi signed an order under the National Heritage Act, declaring the six buildings and sites as national heritage sites.

The order was published in the Federal Government Gazette on Dec 28.

The Act was drawn up to help conserve and preserve the country’s national heritage.

So far, hundreds of buildings, monuments and archaeological and natural sites have been included in the national heritage list in accordance with the Act.

The Act states that any building, monument, site, object or other items to be included in the list must meet certain criteria.

They include historical significance; association or relationship to Malaysian history; rarity or uniqueness; or any other matter relevant to the determination of cultural heritage significance.

The Sultan Abdul Samad Mosque building, formerly known as Bangunan Masjid Jamek, was built in 1909.

Located at the confluence of Sungai Klang and Sungai Gombak, it is one of the oldest mosques in Kuala Lumpur.

The Gate of Santiago, once known as Kota Santiago, is one of four gates to A Famosa, a former Portuguese fortress in Melaka.

The fortress was built by Alfonso de Albuquerque in 1512, one year after soldiers under his command invaded Melaka.

Istana Jahar in Kota Baru is among the most popular tourist sites in Kelantan.

Built in the 1880s, the palace was converted into a museum in 1981 and showcases Kelantan’s culture.

The Stadthuys is a historical structure built by the Dutch in 1650 as the office of the Dutch governor and deputy governor in Melaka.

Source: TheStar