Guar Kepah Skeleton Collection Officially Handed Over To Penang

GEORGE TOWN, Jan 13 (Bernama) -- The Guar Kepah skeleton collection, a national heritage treasure, along with its original storage box brought back from the Netherlands on Aug 30 last year, has now been officially handed over to Penang for placement and conservation.

The handover was formalised through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the federal government and the Penang state government at Komtar today.

The MoU was signed by state secretary Datuk Seri Zulkifli Long and deputy state secretary (Development) Mohamed Abdul Rahman on behalf of the state government, while the federal government was represented by National Heritage Department heritage commissioner Muhamad Muda Bahadin and his deputy Ruzairy Arbi.

The signing ceremony was witnessed by Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture (MOTAC) secretary-general Datuk Shaharuddin Abu Sohot.

Zulkifli said close cooperation between MOTAC, the National Heritage Department, the Malaysian Embassy in the Netherlands, the Dutch Government and other relevant agencies had successfully brought home 41 human skeletal remains previously kept at the Collection Centre Netherlands (CCNL) in Amersfoort.

He said the initiative marked an important step in efforts to conserve the Guar Kepah Archaeological Site, one of the most significant prehistoric sites in the country, while reflecting the strong commitment of the state and federal governments to preserving the nation’s archaeological heritage for future generations.

“The skeleton collection will be placed at the Guar Kepah Archaeological Gallery, which has been completed and equipped with conservation and storage facilities that meet heritage conservation standards, supported by federal government allocations through the Northern Corridor Implementation Authority (NCIA).

“The gallery, which is scheduled to open to the public in the first quarter of this year after the transfer of the skeletons and artefacts, will have a positive impact not only on the local community but also on academics, researchers and the tourism industry,” he said.

Zulkifli said the skeletons would be temporarily placed at the Global Archaeological Research Centre (PPAG) of Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) for research and conservation before being exhibited at the Guar Kepah Archaeological Gallery.

According to him, the Guar Kepah skeletons were a valuable archaeological treasure, as they provided an important insight into the lives of prehistoric communities in the region.

Therefore, Zulkifli hoped the signing of the MoU would further strengthen cooperation between the state and federal governments, as well as academic institutions, to ensure the research, conservation and preservation of the collection were carried out professionally and continuously.

Meanwhile, Shaharuddin said he believed the Guar Kepah Archaeological Gallery had the potential to become the country’s leading archaeo-tourism product, following the return of the skeleton collection to the site where it had been excavated over eight decades ago.

Located in Penaga, Seberang Perai Utara (SPU), the Guar Kepah Archaeological Gallery is slated for official opening by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim on Jan 24.

-- BERNAMA