File photo of the Hua Middle School No. 4 old building ‘Darul Kurnia’.
KUCHING (Feb 29): The current location of Chung Hua Middle School (CHMS) No. 4 at Jalan Haji Taha here should be designated as the ‘Kuching Historical Museum’, a Democratic Action Party (DAP) man has suggested.
Soo Tien Ren, an assistant to DAP Sarawak chairman Chong Chieng Jen, said the Sarawak government had recently announced a land exchange, with the school set to relocate to a more spacious campus in Batu Kawa while its original site would be redeveloped into a Malay Cultural Museum.
“I would like to clarify some historical context regarding the location of Chung Hua Middle School No. 4. The original site of Chung Hua Middle School No. 4, as the oldest traditional Malay-style building known as ‘Darul Kurnia’ has witnessed the development of Chinese education in the area for over 60 years.
“It was once bought by the Chinese community as the embassy for the Republic of China. Then, due to the changes in the international situation, the site was then put under the management of the Sarawak Chinese Trustee Association,” he said in a statement.
According to Soo, some elders had even claimed that the current site of CHMS No. 4 was once used as a base by the Japanese army during its occupation of Sarawak.
Such a blend and intertwining of cultures is unique not only in Sarawak but also in Malaysia as a whole, he opined.
“Therefore, if the intention is merely to convert the original site of Chung Hua Middle School No. 4 into a museum solely documenting one single culture, it seems insufficient to showcase the distinctive characteristics of this historic building.
“As such, I propose that instead of arbitrarily converting the current site of Chung Hua Middle School No. 4 to be a single-cultural museum, it should be redeveloped into and renamed as the Kuching Historical Museum.”
Soo said this would reflect the fact that the site was purchased by the Chinese and Malay communities and that a Chinese school was able to develop a building with rich Malay architectural features.
This approach would not only showcase Sarawak’s inclusive nature but also “send a message to the conservatism in West Malaysia”, he added.
“By having the Chinese secondary school operate in a building with rich Malay architectural features, the Malay community in Sarawak can also accommodate the development of Chinese education. This would allow Kuchingites to better understand the history of our city and feel proud of the harmony and inclusivity of our ancestors.
“As a witness to the integration and development of Malay culture and Chinese education in Kuching, the historical character of the site should be preserved and passed down to generations to come,” he said.