S’wak seeks to bring back Niah Cave’s human remains
MIRI: The Sarawak government will send a team to Florida, USA next month on a mission to bring the Niah Cave’s human remains there back to the state.
The team will be led by the Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, who will be accompanied by his assistant minister Datuk Sebastian Ting.
This was announced by Abdul Karim at the Sarawak Chinese Association’s 2020 Pre-Chinese New Year (CNY) Banquet at Imperial Hotel here on Friday.
The minister regarded the Niah Cave as ‘being very close to the hearts of Sarawakians’ in view of its historical significance.
He said the latest archaeological evidence showed that Niah Cave was inhabited by humans around 65,000 years ago – in the first research, the number indicated 40,000 years of inhabitation.
“Next month, myself and Datuk Sebastian Ting will be going to Florida to bring back the bones that were excavated from Niah Cave way before the formation Malaysia (1963), but were later sent to the University of Nevada.
“After that, the research was transferred to University of Florida for a competition.
“In the last two years, the Sarawak government has been engaging University of South Whales in a latest research, which has found that the human habitation (in Niah Cave) was earlier than 40,000 years ago – about 65,000 years ago. We’re going to have a grand homecoming for our great ancestors.”
During the research, Abdul Karim said the experts had found more than 80 green turtle shells as well as stingray bones inside the Niah Cave.
These new findings, he added, indicated that at one point in time, the mouth of the Niah Cave was very close to the sea.
Meanwhile on Miri tourism, Abdul Karim pointed out that there was no other better place to promote this to other the neighbouring Brunei.
“I’ve been told about 100 buses coming in from Brunei ahead of the New Year 2020 countdown in Miri. My ministry plans to bring tourism roadshows from one place to another.”
Adding on, the minister acknowledged that for the past one-and-a-half years, many tourism events had been focused on Kuching, explaining that the key reason was due to its status as Sarawak capital.
“However, this doesn’t mean that we are neglecting other places like Miri, Sibu and Bintulu.
“Nevertheless in terms of air connectivity, the direct flights have to start with Kuching.
“In this respect, I assure all of you that my ministry is looking into connecting the direct-flight routes to Miri,” he added.
Abdul Karim also assured all that the ministry had big plans for tourism in Miri and its outskirts. “That’s why we’re planning some major infrastructures leading to the Niah Cave. When all these tourism infrastructures are in place in the next few years, Miri would be one of the favourite tourist destinations in the near future.”
The Friday night banquet also hosted Telang Usan assemblyman Dennis Ngau, Ministry of Local Government and Housing’s permanent secretary Datuk Antonio Kahti Galis, Miri Resident Mastapha Julaihi, Sarawak Chinese Association’s life honorary advisors Datuk James Ling Suk Kiong, Dato Dr Michael Chieng and Datuk Hii King Chiong who is also Sarawak Chinese Association’s chairman, Sarawak Islamic Information Centre chief executive officer Zabariah Matali, and Sarawak Chinese Association president Ting Pang Soon.