National Heritage Act 2005 (act 645)

Issues problem

According to National Heritage Act 2005 (Act 645), Heritage item includes any National Heritage, Heritage site, Heritage object or under water cultural heritage that declared under National Heritage section 67. In other hand, Heritage describe as something in the value in term of aesthetic, archaeological, architectural, cultural, historical, scientific, social, spiritual, linguistic or technological, inherent from previous generation.

Based on that definition, the issues is to identify National Heritage and Heritage in Department of National Heritage. Heritage site is any site which has natural heritage or cultural heritage significant to be a heritage site under section 24. If a site not has natural or cultural heritage but the Commissioner can declared it as heritage based on satisfied of its proximity to and for the protection. Natural Heritage any object which has cultural heritage significance to be a heritage object and shall cause it to be listed in the register under section 49. Heritage object can be registered by any person but it needed approval from the Commissioner that an object is of cultural heritage significance.

National Heritage is any heritage object, heritage site, underwater cultural heritage that declared by Minister under National Heritage section 67. The declaration under section 67, involves a living person, the consent of that person shall be obtained before any declaration is made.

Data Analysis

The National Heritage list has been established to list places of outstanding heritage significant to Malaysia. It included natural and history that are of outstanding national heritage value of Malaysia nation. Based on website “Jabatan Warisan Negara’, we can identify a few heritage items as the National Heritage from this case.

However, the Minister may make a declaration any heritage under section 67. Other hand, the declared as National Heritage can be a nomination by any person to the Minister under section 68 in respect of any heritage sites, heritage object, underwater cultural heritage listed in the register or any living person. In order to make declaration, the Minister may consider a few things to publish in the gazette.

1. the historical importance, association with or relationship to Malaysian history;
2. the good design or aesthetic characteristics;
3. the scientific or technical innovations or achievements;
4. the social or cultural associations;
5. the potential to educate, illustrate or provide further scientific investigation in relation to Malaysian cultural heritage;
6. the importance in exhibiting a richness, diversity or unusual integration of features;
7. the rarity or uniqueness of the natural heritage, tangible or intangible cultural heritage or underwater cultural heritage;
8. the representative nature of a site or object as part of a class or type of a site or object; and
9. any other matter which is relevant to the determination of cultural heritage significance

Heritage is the something that value in education and economic growth to the country. Heritage education becomes importance and more importance to hold great potential for better innovation. Cultural heritage and natural history has a high value that can be contribute to public and appreciation of the past event. It also can give benefit to heritage tourism uses, as it can be a source of economic benefits to attract tourist for the country.

ALTERNATIVES ANALYSIS

From the websites Malaysiavacationguide.com, 50 things have been listed as a national heritage that people should know. The 50 items consists or heritage site, heritage object and underwater cultural heritage. The buildings have been chosen included the parliament House, Sultan Abdul Samad Building and National Mosque. Heritage object include national flag, the hibiscus flower and royal long Keris and the heritage cultural (intangible) practices include the lion dance, the Malay Joget and Ngajat.