KOTA KINABALU: Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor has announced plans to restore iconic buildings in Kota Kinabalu in a bid to preserve Sabah’s heritage and historical sites.
The Chief Minister highlighted the old welfare office in the city, which previously served as the British North Borneo Chartered Company office building, as one of the structures slated for restoration.
Destroyed in a fire, the building may potentially be repurposed into an art gallery following the completion of the restoration project.
Hajiji revealed that the restoration initiative forms part of the Sabah integrated cultural mapping system development project.
“A budget of RM2 million has been allocated for the mapping system, with an additional RM200,000 earmarked for the study of the old welfare office restoration project,” he explained.
Speaking at the Bajausama Cultural Festival in Tuaran, Hajiji emphasized that the mapping system aims to modernize the management of information related to Sabah’s ethnic cultures.
He emphasized that the system would facilitate the redevelopment or restoration of the British North Borneo Chartered Company building, destroyed by fire many years ago.
“Our goal is to safeguard the historical site and transform the building into a cultural art gallery, enhancing Sabah’s efforts in safeguarding and promoting its cultural heritage,” he said.
Hajiji disclosed that the Sabah Cultural Board has been tasked with overseeing these projects, which are part of a broader initiative to diversify and enhance the state’s tourism offerings with the aim of attracting three million tourists this year.
In addition to cultural and art tourism, he noted the increasing popularity of community-based products like eco-tourism among both local and international travelers.
Encouraging local ethnic associations to champion their own cultural programs and developments, he urged them to embark on community-based tourism endeavors within their respective localities.
Hajiji also urged the people of Sabah to leverage the state’s unique cultural and ethnic diversity as a valuable asset.
Reflecting on the ongoing Bajausama Festival, which commenced on February 25, he expressed his desire for the event to serve as a platform for fostering unity and inspiring youth engagement in arts and culture.
