Budget 2027 funds three sites with Unesco recognition potential

Three heritage sites with potential for Unesco recognition will get facility upgrades under Budget 2027. Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim named them as Danum Valley in Sabah, Bujang Valley in Kedah and Taman Negara Pahang.

Anwar announced the upgrades on 9 October as part of RM935 million for tourism and culture. The reports give no cost, contractor or timeline for any single site.

So where does each site stand? The answers differ. This article draws on earlier reports and Unesco’s own records, and it dates each one.

Bujang Valley in Kedah

The Vibes reported in July 2023 that researchers at Universiti Sains Malaysia were working towards Unesco recognition for the valley. They are working with the National Heritage Department on a listing for “Ancient Kedah”.

Nasha Rodziadi Khaw is a senior lecturer and archaeologist at the university. He said a listing has to start with a dossier. He added, “We are moving towards this listing.” The report does not say a dossier has been sent.

The valley has 97 archaeological sites, and 54 have been dug. Many temples remain undiscovered. A 2019 study placed most samples between the 2nd and 10th century AD.

Nasha described Ancient Kedah as a maritime society that welcomed foreign ideas. He also warned about land development. Any threat to the site’s value, he said, could lead to delisting.

Taman Negara Pahang

Taman Negara’s road to Unesco recognition began on paper years ago. Unesco’s Tentative List includes the National Park (Taman Negara) of Peninsular Malaysia. Malaysia submitted it on 5 June 2014. A Tentative List entry is not yet a World Heritage listing.

The park covers 434,351 hectares across Pahang, Kelantan and Terengganu. Pahang holds 57% of it. Unesco’s entry says it would be the only World Heritage Site in Peninsular Malaysia.

The entry cites more than 3,000 plant species and about 150 mammal species. These include the Asian elephant, Malayan tiger, clouded leopard and Malayan tapir. It also records 479 bird species.

Perhilitan manages the park under the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment. Three state laws and the Wildlife Conservation Act 2010 protect it. Anwar’s list named Taman Negara Pahang, though the park also spans Kelantan and Terengganu.

Danum Valley in Sabah

The Borneo Post reported in November 2013 that Sabah was preparing three sites together. They were Danum Valley, Maliau Basin and Imbak Canyon. That report is now almost 13 years old. It said a state committee was preparing the papers. The federal ministry would then send the official proposal to Unesco.

Then-minister Datuk Masidi Manjun said the work was “taking some time because we are proposing simultaneously three sites”. No proposal had been sent at that point. Mount Kinabalu was then Sabah’s only World Heritage Site.

Sabah Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Jafry Ariffin welcomed the new focus on Danum Valley. He said, “Tourism development and environmental conservation must go hand in hand.”

Jafry said the RM935 million gives Sabah chances in destination promotion and cultural heritage preservation. That comes ahead of Visit Sabah 2027. He added that good roads and basic services remain essential for rural destinations.