Sabah’s emphasis on conserving and preserving heritage sites and cultural elements is vital for maintaining its identity, according to Tourism, Culture, and Environment Minister Datuk Christina Liew.
The State Heritage Enactment 2017 mandates this focus.
Liew, speaking at the launch of the 2023 Museum Festival at the Sabah Museum Department, stressed the festival’s importance in aligning with the government’s objectives.
The festival, a continuation and improvement of the North Borneo Rainforest Festival, aims to encapsulate Sabah’s cultural richness.
Liew encouraged external cooperation to enhance its value, emphasizing that such festivals offer knowledge and foster appreciation for cultural values among visitors.
She envisioned the festival not only preserving Sabah’s cultural heritage but also making it widely recognized and appreciated.
Highlighting the economic potential, Liew noted that festivals like this could become tourism products, benefiting the local community.
Attendees included Mohamad Shawali Badi from the Department of Museum Malaysia and Lester John Millip from the Sabah Museum Department.
Liew’s speech, delivered by Tourism Minister Deputy Permanent Secretary II Alesia Sion, emphasized the continuous prioritisation of such festivals for their role in achieving the government’s objectives.
