MALAYSIA will not submit a nomination for Batu Caves to be considered for the Unesco World Heritage List. Instead, the Tourism and Culture Ministry has pledged to designate the iconic tourist landmark as a national heritage site.
Tourism and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Aziz said it would be a waste of time to apply since Batu Caves did not qualify for Unesco status.
“It is not up to us. The conditions are set by Unesco and we all have to comply.
“If we don’t comply, there is nothing we can do. The best we can do is to designate it a national heritage,” Nazri said.
Unesco World Heritage status is awarded by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) and to be listed, a site must be of outstanding universal value and meet at least one of the 10 selection criteria.
“Designating Batu Caves as a national heritage is within our scope; but not Unesco status.
When pressed whether an application should be made anyway, Nazri said: “There is no point in applying if we do not qualify, as it would be a waste of time.”
Nazri said Batu Caves could easily qualify as a national heritage due to its unique religious, ecological and natural environment.
“A national heritage site or status is not just confined to being old or ancient. It can be anything that has intrinsic heritage, cultural and social value.
“To me, I think Batu Caves easily qualifies as a national heritage site.
“It is an iconic landmark with great value and can easily be listed as a national heritage site and should be protected,” he said.
Nazri added that listing the 400 million-year-old limestone caves would also protect the area from any future development.
“People, especially the owners of old heritage buildings, have the wrong perception that once an area is declared a heritage site, it means the Government now controls it.
“That is not true.
“Any designation under the National Heritage Act 2005 is meant to protect and preserve. It is not a draconian act that is autocratic or out to punish anyone.
“In fact after designation, the building still remains with the owner and it will not affect its commercial value,” he said.
“In the case of Batu Caves, I have no problem designating it but the application must be made, either by the local authority concerned, the public or even the Batu Caves temple committee.
“Make the application and I will push for it,” Nazri added.
Batu Caves, a popular tourist destination in Selangor, would not meet the criteria for Unesco status because of the local authority’s failure to ensure that the Sri Maha Mariamman Temple Dhevasthanam Committee, which manages the iconic landmark, abided by conservation and sustainable practice requirements.
This had resulted in the National Heritage Department (JWN) saying it would not apply for the Unesco status for Batu Caves as it did not meet the criteria.
Heritage commissioner Dr Zainah Ibrahim had earlier told StarMetro that even if a structure with heritage value was not listed under the National Heritage Act 2005 (Act 645), local authorities could refer to the department to identify the best conservation method for it.
In accordance with the requirements of Section 40, Act 645, when there is any new development site close to a national heritage structure or structure of heritage value, recommendations should be submitted to JWN.
JWN will then identify measures that should be taken to ensure the new development will not affect the integrity or legacy of the structure.
The developer will also have to submit proposed safety and work procedures to ensure the integrity of the heritage structure is maintained and, at the same time, preserve the authenticity of the building’s structure.
JWN added that close cooperation between local authorities and participating agencies was essential to ensure the best overall conservation of national heritage.
Meanwhile, International Council on Monuments and Sites Malaysia chairman Datuk Hajeedar Majid said the Batu Caves of 50 years ago would have been eligible for consideration for the Unesco listing.
“If you took me back 50 years ago, I would have fought for this landmark to be listed as a Unesco heritage site,” said Hajeedar.
“Masih ada harapan (still got hope) back then,” Hajeedar added.
“Today, the developments around it such as the commercial complex, the shops, the entire physical space and the environment and historical buildings such as the grand staircase leading up to the cave temple are not in harmony with the entire site,” he said.
Hajeedar explained that the distance of 200m from the boundary of the grand staircase should have been sympathetic to the caves and natural environment.
“Today, it is too commercial, too chaotic,” he said.
For the record, the Sri Subramaniar Swamy Temple in Batu Caves is listed as a national heritage site in the JWN website. Known as the Temple Cave, it is one of the 30 caves that are open to the public.
The Temple Cave has a vaulted ceiling 100m high and right above the cave is an opening where one can see the sky.
A flight of 272 steps leads up to the temple. The stairway is divided into sets of 17 steps by landings.
In 2013, at the Deepavali Open House held in the Batu Caves temple grounds, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak announced an intention to get Unesco to officially recognise Batu Caves as a site worth preserving as it was a Malaysian icon.
Currently, Unesco only recognises five sites in Malaysia – Gunung Mulu National Park, Kinabalu Park, the archeological heritage of the Lenggong Valley and the two historical cities of Malacca and George Town.
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