KUANTAN, April 13 — The Pahang government has agreed to gazette 32 heritage sites across the state under the National Heritage Act 2005 (Act 645) in a bid to preserve the historical value of those areas.
State Tourism and Culture Committee chairman Datuk Seri Mohd Sharkar Shamsuddin said the agreement was reached at the state executive council meeting on Oct 5, 2016, following requests from the National Heritage Department to gazette the 32 heritage sites.
“The National Heritage Department had also received additional requests from Lipis District and Land Office on Dec 28, 2016, to proclaim another 10 heritage sites in the constituency,” he said this at the State Legislative Assembly sitting at Wisma Sri Pahang here today.
He was replying to Datuk Mustapa Long (BN-Padang Tengku) who wanted to know the action and efforts taken by the state government to gazette the heritage sites in the state especially in Lipis.
Mohd Sharkar also said that of the 32 heritage sites, seven were located in Lipis.
In his supplementary question, Mustapa expressed concern over the possibility of the 100-year-old Lipis railway station to disappear following the expansion of the station, apart from requesting that the station also be gazetted as a heritage site.
Mohd Sharkar said the matter should be discussed with the National Heritage Department and Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTMB).
“National Heritage Department certainly have certain criteria and historical characteristics that must be met before an area can be gazetted (as historical site), but we can ask KTMB to preserve the station’s existing building or built a new one with features similar to the old building,” he said. — Bernama
