Abang Johari (centre) sees Abdul Karim handing over a counterfeit check worth RM2,542,000 to Shahrul as funds for the Sri Adenan Satem Pehin Chair. - UKAS image

KUCHING: Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg said the state government had allocated RM2.54 million to set up the Pehin Sri Adenan Chair to drive research efforts and defend Borneo's unique identity and rich cultural heritage at the international level. He said ethnic research in Sarawak, especially in terms of culture, language, human thought, art customs and traditional heritage, would be led by Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) Bintulu Campus.

According to him, Kursi Pehin Sri Adenan Satem will be a hub for collecting cultural heritage data and treasures of various ethnic groups in Sarawak and Borneo which may be abandoned or forgotten if no in-depth research is done. He said the establishment of Pehin Sri Adenan Satem Chair was a joint venture in research between UPM and the state government through the Sarawak Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture.

The expertise available at UPM Bintulu Campus, he said, would help the Sarawak Government's efforts to preserve the culture and ethnic heritage of Borneo. "The Sarawak government hopes that with the establishment of the Pehin Sri Adenan Satem Chair at UPM Bintulu Campus, it may develop UPM Bintulu Campus as a research centre for Borneo ethnic groups in Sarawak, focusing on cultural, linguistic and socio-economic elements.

"UPM Bintulu Campus's efforts to focus on the study of Sarawak's ethnic groups, in particular, should be appreciated as we are moving towards better economic development." Therefore, to support this noble effort, the Sarawak Government agreed to establish the Pehin Sri Adenan Satem who was a lifelong leader. great ones and supporters are also fans of artistic and cultural elements, ”he said.

He said this while officiating the International Conference on Social Sciences and Humanities 2021 at a hotel here today. At the ceremony, Abang Johari also witnessed the exchange of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoA) between the Sarawak Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture and UPM for the establishment of the Pehin Sri Adenan Satem Chair.

Abang Johari said Sarawak had 27 ethnic groups and spoke 45 dialects. However, he said, if looked at more closely, the indigenous people and tribes of Sarawak, ethnic groups in the state can be divided into sub-tribes depending on their geographical location. For example, he said, the Dayak community is divided into Dayak Laut (Iban), Sebuyau, Remun, Balau and Iban Undup groups while Malays are classified as Brunei Malays and Sarawak Malays while Melanau is divided into Oya, Daro, Balingian and others.

"Certainly, these various forms of culture provide a great resource for research activities, especially on culture, language, traditional practices, performing arts and lifestyle," he said. Abang Johari added that although the Sarawak Government was working to develop the digital economy, important aspects of local culture must be preserved and promoted. In this regard, he said under the State Budget 2022, RM10 million was allocated to establish a Heritage, Arts and Culture Facilitation Fund next year to increase tourism programs and promotion in Sarawak.

"I sincerely hope that we can continue the same program to create equal opportunities and further strengthen efforts to establish academic and research collaborations between universities in Borneo and across the archipelago and enhance Borneo's reputation as an ecotourism destination by promoting Borneo's cultural heritage internationally," he said. he said.

At the conference, Abang Johari said it could lead to the development of an international education hub in Borneo and build relationships to promote and nurture the diversity of cultural traditions of its community. He said the two-day conference had brought together participants from various backgrounds and countries such as Brunei, Indonesia and the Philippines. "Congratulations to the Sarawak Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture and UPM Bintulu Campus for organizing this conference as it has provided a platform to discuss the cultural diversity in the archipelago," he said.

Also present were Sarawak Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, UPM Board Chairman Tengku Syarif Laksamana Perlis Dato 'Seri Diraja Syed Razlan Syed Putra Jamalullail, Sarawak Assistant Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture Datuk Sebastian Ting, State Assemblyman (ADUN) Tanjung Datu Datuk Amar Jamilah Anu, Vice Chancellor of UPM Professor Ir. Dr. B.T. Hang Tuah Baharudin and UPM Bintulu Campus Director Prof. Dr. Shahrul Razid Sarbini.

For more information, please click Here

Date of Input: 28/10/2021 | Updated: 27/04/2022 | lanz