Minister wants Labuan Museum to be listed as national heritage building

LABUAN: National Unity Minister Dato Sri Aaron Ago Dagang wants the Labuan Museum to be listed as a national heritage building or site.

He is optimistic that the effort will be materialised through a collaborative effort between the Department of Museums Malaysia and the Department of National Heritage.

“Over the past two decades since its establishment in 2004, Labuan Museum has welcomed an impressive 1.15 million visitors, as of 2023,” he said when launching the Semarak Muzium Labuan, held in conjunction with the museum’s 20th anniversary celebration.

He also commended Labuan Museum for its role in organising various events, exhibitions, research initiatives and educational awareness programmes.

Aaron also highlighted the museum’s conservation efforts in safeguarding priceless heritage treasures, including artefacts from the Neolithic era, items collected when the Sabah government ceded Labuan Island to the federal government in 1984, and memorial stones dating back to the island’s surrender to the British in 1846, and its subsequent independence.

“One notable specimen an Indian Fin Whale skeleton in the Labuan Museum, which attained National Heritage object status on Jan 8, 2024, following the enactment of the National Heritage Act 2005,” he said.

He added that the organisation of Semarak Muzium is crucial to raising public awareness of the importance of preserving national heritage.

He also acknowledged the potential of the Semarak Muzium to bridge the gap between museums and the public, in educating the people about the significance of national heritage remains preserved in museums nationwide.