THE repatriation of 41 human skeletons from the Netherlands to Malaysia has been successfully completed, marking a significant milestone achieved through close collaboration between the Penang government and the Federal Government.
The skeletal remains, believed to have been excavated by the British during the colonial era, were previously housed at the National Natuurhistorisch Museum in Leiden, the Netherlands.
The collection safely arrived in Malaysia on Aug 30 last year, following coordinated efforts involving the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture (MOTAC), the National Heritage Department, the Malaysian Embassy in the Netherlands, the Dutch government, and related agencies.
Following the repatriation, the Federal government and the Penang government signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the placement and conservation of the Guar Kepah skeletal collection, including its original storage boxes.
The MoU also formalised the official handover of the collection to the Penang government.
The MoU signing ceremony and official handover were held at Komtar today.
In his speech, Penang State Secretary Datuk Seri Zulkifli Long described the initiative as a crucial step in the conservation of the Guar Kepah Archaeological Site, which is recognised as one of Malaysia’s most important prehistoric sites.
“The 2.39-acre site in North Seberang Perai has been the subject of archaeological research since 1860 and continues to attract scholarly attention to this day.
“Since 2017, the state government, through Chief Minister Incorporated (CMI), in collaboration with Universiti Sains Malaysia’s Global Archaeology Research Centre (USM-PPAG), has carried out systematic research and excavations at the site.
“One of the most significant discoveries was the human skeleton known as the ‘Penang Woman’, found on April 19, 2017,” he said.
Zulkifli added that the skeletal collection will be housed at the Guar Kepah Archaeological Gallery in Kepala Batas, which has been fully equipped with conservation and storage facilities that meet heritage preservation standards.
“The development of the gallery was made possible with funding support from the Federal Government through the Northern Corridor Implementation Authority (NCIA),” he said.
He also expressed the state government’s deepest appreciation to the Federal Government and Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim for their continued support in the development of the Guar Kepah Archaeological Gallery, which is expected to open to the public in the first quarter of this year, subject to the completion of the relocation of the skeletons and related artefacts.
“Through the signing of this MoU, the Penang government is confident that strategic cooperation between the Federal Government, the state government and academic institutions will continue to be strengthened, further positioning Penang as a national and international hub for knowledge, research and heritage tourism,” he said.
Meanwhile, MOTAC Secretary-General Datuk Shaharuddin Abu Sohot said that with the completion of the repatriation process, the Guar Kepah Archaeological Gallery is expected to become one of the country’s key tourism products.
Also present were Penang Financial Officer Datuk Zabidah Safar, Deputy State Secretary (development) Mohamed Abdul Rahman, National Heritage Department director-general and Heritage Commissioner Mohamad Muda Bahadin, National Heritage Department deputy commissioner Ruzairy Arbi, CMI general manager Datin Bharathi Suppiah and USM-PPAG researcher Dr Nasha Rodziadi Khaw.
Story by Riadz Akmal
Pix by Siti Nuratikah Rahmat