KUCHING: The Borneo Cultures Museum (BCM) recorded 114,347 visitors as of September this year, with attendance showing steady month-to-month growth.
Singapore, Indonesia, China, the United Kingdom and Australia emerged as the museum’s five leading international visitor markets.
Minister for Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said museums were no longer merely repositories for antiquities and historical objects.
“They safeguard the identity and soul of Sarawak while ensuring that our historical narrative remains intact, accurate and inherited from one generation to another,” he said when officiating at the Sarawak Museum Department Appreciation Dinner at Pullman Hotel here on Sunday (Sept 20).
Across all institutions managed by the department, 263,465 visitors were recorded during the first half of this year, representing 95.1 per cent of its 277,000-visitor target.
The majority were domestic visitors, while the remainder comprised international tourists.
Abdul Karim said museums also served as cultural ambassadors by giving the outside world a better understanding of Sarawak’s biodiversity, ethnic diversity and Bornean civilisation.
BCM’s growing standing was reflected in its recognition as Malaysia’s first museum to receive the Green Building Index Silver certification, which remains valid until April next year.
It was also named a winner of the National Energy Award 2025 in the energy-efficient building category.
The department is now preparing BCM for Malaysia Tourism Quality Assurance accreditation in collaboration with the federal Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry to further strengthen its service and management standards.
Abdul Karim also called on the department to harness technology and digitalisation to make heritage knowledge more interactive, accessible and relevant to younger generations.
“The ministry will continue to stand firmly behind the Sarawak Museum Department in supporting efforts to elevate the state’s cultural and heritage treasures on the international stage,” he said.
