KUALA LUMPUR: The Housing and Local Government Ministry is always open to suggestions regarding the nomination of any village as a Unesco World Heritage Site.

Its minister, Nga Kor Ming said the Madani government's approach is to always welcome the nomination of traditional Malay villages, including in Sabah and Sarawak, as proposed Unesco World Heritage sites, provided they meet the stipulated criteria.

"If there is an application from the International Council on Monuments and Sites (Icomos) of Malaysia, the ministry, together with the National Heritage Department and Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry, will consider and scrutinise the proposal.

"However, this matter will be coordinated by the Rural and Regional Development Ministry since traditional Malay villages come under its jurisdiction,” he said when winding up the motion of thanks for the Royal address at the Dewan Negara sitting on Monday (March 25).

Nga said Unesco had stipulated six criteria for World Heritage Site nomination.

They comprise the need to represent human creativity; exhibit an important interchange of human values; bear a unique testimony to a cultural tradition or to a civilisation which is living or which has disappeared; architectural and technological aspects that illustrate significant stages in human history; human interaction with the environment; and associated with events, with beliefs or artistic and outstanding literary works.

"To nominate any village as a Unesco World Heritage Site, the village's location must have outstanding universal significance and meet at least one of the six selection criteria,” he said. - Bernama

https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2024/03/25/housing-ministry-open-to-suggestions-on-nomination-of-villages-as-unesco-site