All communities must get involved in conserving heritage: Snowdan

KUCHING : Sarawak has stressed that heritage conservation must involve communities, extending beyond buildings and monuments to safeguarding traditions, knowledge, and cultural practices handed down through generations.

Deputy Minister of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Datuk Snowdan Lawan said Sarawak’s cultural diversity, with at least 34 ethnic groups, demonstrated how different communities could live alongside one another while maintaining their distinct identities.

He delivered the welcoming address and officially opened the 22nd General Assembly and Scientific Symposium of the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS GA2026) on behalf of Minister of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah at the Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK) last night (Oct 18).

Snowdan delivers his speech.

“What makes Sarawak special is how different cultures have lived alongside one another for generations, sharing experiences and influences while maintaining their distinct identities,” he said.

He said heritage was not limited to physical structures but also encompassed the people, knowledge and traditions that gave meaning to places and shaped cultural identities.

Snowdan cited traditional longhouses as examples of living heritage, where communities gathered, customary practices continued and cultural knowledge was passed down through generations.

Traditional crafts, music, dances and oral traditions also reflected the histories, identities and relationship with the environment of local communities.

He stressed the importance of mutual respect and tolerance among different communities in maintaining peace.

“In Sarawak, we believe that heritage conservation and development need not be opposing objectives. With careful planning, meaningful community engagement, and respect for cultural values, they can complement one another,” he said.

Snowdan also stressed the importance of respecting the natural environment, citing a tree-replanting initiative in his constituency in May that involved planting more than 5,000 trees with the participation of a Japanese group.

The assembly’s theme, “Living Heritage: Respect, Enhance, Accept, Partnership”, reflects the relationship between people, places and cultural identity.

Snowdan said hosting ICOMOS GA2026 provided Sarawak with an opportunity to share its experience in managing its diverse cultural heritage while learning from heritage professionals around the world.

He hoped discussions and partnerships established during the assembly would contribute to practical approaches and stronger international cooperation in safeguarding heritage for future generations.

Described as the Olympics of Cultural Heritage, ICOMOS GA2026 is being held in Malaysia and Southeast Asia for the first time, bringing together more than 1,800 delegates from 110 countries.

The assembly runs from Oct 17 to 23, with its main programme beginning on Oct 19.