Saturday, November 10, 2012

Perak Man To Be Brought Home To Lenggong - Rais

LENGGONG, Nov 10 (Bernama) -- Perak Man will be brought home to Lenggong after the infrastructure and facilities to preserve the pre-historic skeletal remains are ready.

Information Communications and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim said thorough preparation would have to be made before relocating Perak Man which is currently kept at the National Museum in Kuala Lumpur.

"That's the plan but the infrastructure must be ready. We have to put up a building, monitor, and prevent the skeletal remains from being tainted.

"When everything is ready, only then the relocation can be done," he told reporters after launching Lenggong Valley as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

However, the place for showcasing the 10,000 year-old Perak Man has not been determined.

Discovered in Gua Gunung Runtuh in 1990, Perak Man is one of the most complete skeletal remains found in South-east Asia.

Rais said the federal government recently approved a RM30 million allocation to build the necessary infrastructure in Lenggong.

The fund would allow the ministry to build basic facilities such as exhibition area, gallery and information centre as outlined under the guidelines set by UNESCO.

Construction work on the infrastructure would start early next year in collaboration with Perak state government.

"Recognition of Lenggong Valley makes Malaysia the focal point of ancient studies. Apart from anthropology and archeology it is also very important for pre-historic studies."

In another development, he said Taman Negara in Pahang and Batu Caves in Selangor, have potential to be promoted as world heritage in the future.

"We can submit Batu Caves but since Malaysia is a member of Unesco world heritage, we can't take part for two years otherwise it will be conflict of interest.

"But there are areas identified earlier such as Taman Negara in Pahang but the evaluation has not been made," he added.

On June 30, Lenggong Valley archaeological heritage site was recognised as a World Heritage Site by Unesco, a decision that put Malaysia on the world archeology and tourism map.

Lenggong Valley is the fourth Unesco World Heritage Site for Malaysia after Melaka, George Town, Gunung Mulu National Park in Sarawak and Kinabalu Park in Sabah.

-- BERNAMA

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