KEPALA BATAS: The newly completed Guar Kepah Archaeological Gallery, now home to the “Penang Woman” which stands among the country’s most significant Neolithic discoveries, is now open to the public.
Built on a historic shell midden excavation site in Penaga, the gallery was developed through a strategic partnership involving the Northern Corridor Economic Region, Universiti Sains Malaysia and Penang Chief Minister Incorporated (CMI), transforming decades of archaeological research into a public heritage and education asset.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who officiated the gallery commended the initiative and looks forward for it to be developed beyond a specialised archaeological site but positioned as an integrated centre linking history, science, tourism and economic development.
“To make this project successful, it cannot be overly specialised. Although we refer to it as archaeology, it must be aligned with history, science, tourism and even trade,” he said during the ceremony yesterday.
Anwar said Guar Kepah area, now emerging as a new attraction in North Seberang Perai District in Penang, should be further studied and expanded to benefit the surrounding community, including nurturing local talent and stimulating development in the area.
He proposed that the state government consider expanding the surrounding area to support the growth of an activity hub centred on the site.
“This gallery is the anchor, but it must be developed further.
“It should function as a centre of knowledge, so people understand what archaeology means, what ecology means, and how ecology is relevant to uncovering the nation’s heritage,” he said.
The gallery’s centrepiece is the Penang Woman, the first complete Neolithic human skeleton discovered in Malaysia.
The two-storey facility will also display skeletal remains previously kept in the Netherlands following their successful repatriation through cooperation with Dutch authorities.
Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said the gallery would serve as both a cultural landmark and an economic catalyst for the state.
“This gallery is a crucial investment in our national identity and our local economy.”
