PM Anwar Stresses Balance Between Technological Progress And Cultural Heritage

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 15 (Bernama) -- Mastery of new technologies to advance the nation must go hand in hand with efforts to strengthen national identity, history and local cultural heritage, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said.

He said, for instance, the restoration of the Seri Negara heritage building was not merely a conservation effort, but also an initiative to reaffirm the meaning of independence and national identity, so that younger generations can better understand the struggles and sacrifices that underpinned the nation’s formation.

Anwar said the building, which once stood as a symbol of colonial grandeur and elitism before being taken over by the government in 1982, must now be utilised as a shared asset of all Malaysians, serving as an inclusive heritage space rather than remaining an exclusive domain for a new elite.

“These edifices (historic buildings) becoming preferred spaces for the ruling elite is not wrong, but ordinary citizens must not be prevented from enjoying the same facilities to the extent that it creates a juxtaposition of ideas.

“Beyond beautifying and conserving (Seri Negara), it should reflect that Seri Negara belongs to the entire nation, with its narratives, history, arts, culture and literature, in line with the MADANI nation’s principle of inclusivity,” he said at the Seri Negara Conservation completion ceremony here today.

The conservation of Seri Negara also proves that high-investment-driven development can be implemented without sacrificing original historical and architectural values, Anwar said, rejecting the notion that economic progress must inevitably lead to the erosion of heritage.

He said the approach should serve as a model for other heritage conservation projects nationwide, including in Kuala Lumpur, Sabah and Sarawak, through collaboration among government agencies, local authorities and the corporate sector to balance development, identity and public well-being.

Anwar, who is also Finance Minister, said such efforts were vital to prevent cities and public spaces from becoming “culturally barren”, and instead allow them to grow into sustainable, green and people-centred environments where history and the meaning of independence remain part of daily life.

Tunku Besar Seri Menanti Tunku Ali Redhauddin Tuanku Muhriz graced the event.

Also present were Finance Minister II Datuk Seri Amir Hamzah Azizan, Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Federal Territories) Datuk Seri Dr Zaliha Mustafa, Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Shamsul Azri Abu Bakar and Khazanah Nasional Berhad managing director Datuk Amirul Feisal Wan Zahir.

The government had introduced the Kuala Lumpur Heritage Project (Warisan KL) to conserve and revitalise historic assets as economic drivers and community spaces, in line with the vision of a clean, progressive and environmentally friendly capital.

Warisan KL is projected to generate RM7.85 billion by 2035, with key sites including the Dataran Merdeka Heritage Area, Seri Negara, Merdeka 118, the Tun Abdul Razak Memorial and Kuala Lumpur Railway Station.

Under the Warisan KL initiative, Khazanah has been entrusted with conserving eight heritage and historic buildings, including the Bukit Carcosa properties of Seri Negara and Carcosa, as well as the construction of a new bridge linking Carcosa, Seri Negara and the Perdana Botanical Gardens here.

Seri Negara was built in 1896 by Sir Frank Swettenham, the first British Resident-General of the Federated Malay States, and served as his official residence from 1904. It also witnessed the signing of the Federation of Malaya Agreement in 1957.

-- BERNAMA