SELANGOR will not proceed with plans to conserve the Sri Banting Dredge, turning it into a museum, as part of a national tin mining heritage park.
Instead, the dredge will remain in-situ, with the site in Dengkil developed as a recreational park and new heritage tourism destination, says state housing and culture committee chairman Datuk Borhan Aman Shah.
He said the decision was made by the state executive council (MMKN) last year after reassessing the project’s technical feasibility, implementation costs and long-term sustainability.
“However, the state government is of the view that the Sri Banting Dredge holds significant historical and heritage value and should continue to be preserved.
“As such, MMKN decided that the vessel will remain an asset of Sepang Municipal Council (MPSepang) and be turned into a high-impact heritage tourism attraction,” he said.
Borhan said the proposed development would retain the dredge as an in-situ monument and focal point of the site.
He said the project would be carried out through a strategic collaboration between MPSepang, Permodalan Negeri Selangor Bhd (PNSB) which owns the land, and Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry.
“The development concept will integrate heritage conservation, recreation, education and tourism,” he said.
He was responding to a question from Datuk Seri Jamil Salleh (PN-Dengkil), who asked about the status of the proposed Sri Banting Dredge Museum during the Selangor State Assembly sitting at Bangunan Dewan Negeri Selangor, Shah Alam, yesterday.
Responding to a supplementary question by Jamil on the project’s expenditure, Borhan said RM15.28mil had been spent on acquiring the dredge and carrying out improvement works, including repairs to its roof and walls as well as construction of an access road on PNSB-owned land.
“In addition, MPSepang has spent about RM2.71mil on maintenance works, including pumping water out of the lake, carrying out a historical architecture building survey and engaging consultants for repair and conservation works,” he said.
