SELANGOR Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari said the proposal to nominate Chinese new villages in the state to be given UNESCO World Heritage Site status should not be turned into a racial issue.
According to Amirudin, the matter, which is currently in the proposal stage, should not be used as political ammo and that the matter does not provide any benefit to the harmony of the society in a multiracial country.
“We will look at not all (proposals for gazetting) but if there are villages that are hundreds of years old, we will definitely gazette (them) as we had gazetted the Hulu Langat Geopark and part of the Gombak-Hulu Langat Geopark area including the Malay villages,” Bernama reported Amirudin as saying at a press conference on Tuesday (Feb 6).
“If we look at the Geopark, included is Kampung Kuang, Kampung Kundang, the Selayang area, Batu Caves, and several other areas, including Kampung Kemensah, which are all gazetted under the national Geopark and the next step is to become a UNESCO heritage (site).”
His comments on the matter came after Machang MP Wan Ahmad Fayhsal Wan Ahmad Kamal had noted in a Facebook post yesterday that Kampung Baru Kuala Lumpur is a better choice as a UNESCO World Heritage Site as the location has a high historical value and is more in line with the country’s policies and identity.
Taking a potshot at Housing and Local Government Minister Nga Kor Ming who said he would discuss this matter with the Selangor state government, Wan Fayhsal had questioned the historical and unity value for the Chinese new villages to deserve such a status.
He went on to question the DAP minister’s “real motive” for proposing such a thing, adding that there are many other Chinese cultural and historical heritage sites that are more worthy and run parallel with the spirit of the country’s National Cultural Policy.
For the record, Nga who is also the Teluk Intan MP and National DAP vice-chairman has been quoted by The Star as saying that efforts to earn the UNESCO World Heritage Site status are aimed at recognising the cultural and historical significance of the new villages that have been around for 76 years.
On this matter, Amirudin further clarified that all that had been done long before, however, in the minds of critics it is not seen as useful.
“What issues they can spin for short-term political interests do not bring benefits to racial harmony and stability in the country,” he added. – Feb 7, 2024
Main pic credit: Bernama
