Restoration of Kuching old nurses' quarters as heritage site
An archive photo of the Sarawak government nurses' quarters, shortly after it was built in the 1940s.
ON March 20, 2025, an official statement by Deputy Sarawak Secretary (Economic Planning and Development) Dato Sri Dr Muhammad Abdullah Zaidel had announced that after considering the historical significance of the old nurses' quarters, sited at Jalan Tun Openg in Kuching, the state government had agreed to preserve the main structure of this building.
This decision was made following a community-based approach where public feedback was considered.
The Sarawak Heritage Society (SHS) had championed the heritage conservation, and had also conducted a public petition which was strongly supported by many.
The implementation of this restoration will be under the ambit of the Ministry of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Sarawak (MTCP).
The location was initially identified as a key location for the Kuching flood mitigation project due to its position on low-lying land—the proposed retention pond will now be relocated to a new site in the southeast section, subject to the approval from state planning authorities.
The intention is to restore the old nurses quarters to its former condition.
It will then be used and repurposed for folks from the rural areas and upcountry regions as well as from outstation—those family members for patients who are being treated at the Sarawak General Hospital (SGH), situated just across the road; a short walk via an overhead bridge.
Sabati, a group comprising the wives of Sarawak politicians, are also involved by way of the 'Anjung Kasih' programme. This humane service provides facilities like accommodation and care for deserving groups while looking out for their hospitalised family members.
According to a retired architect/consultant, the old nurses' quarters building is in an excellent condition structurally.
It was built in the early 1940s by the British with reinforced concrete structures on very sound solid foundations.
There are no cracks visible anywhere. The walls are double bricked and it keeps the building cool naturally without any air-conditioning; it is very well ventilated too.
The total built-up area of the building on the two levels measures 1,989 square metres, or 21,400 square feet. An additional space measuring 2370 square feet (220 square metres) is only one storey—this formerly covered the kitchen and dining areas.
As it is now structured, there are 52 guest rooms including four single rooms. There is a hall for communal use and relaxation located on each level; both face the main road junction on the north-west side.
A relatively recent photo of the historical nurses' quarters at the junction of Jalan Crookshank and Jalan Tun Abang Haji Openg in Kuching.
The single storey part of the building on the ground floor would house the dining area, kitchen and staff accommodation.
In addition to these are a self-service launderette, a prayer room, and obviously, other facilities can be planned and provided.
One of the best features of such an old colonial-time building meant for residential purposes was that they were all designed for natural, cross flow-air ventilation everywhere; as such for its planned purpose, no air-conditioning is necessary but obviously would be the norm nowadays.
The same retired architect friend, who had personally been onsite and viewed the old nurses' quarters himself, commented on the sound structure of the building itself and was confident that a full and complete restoration to its former glory could be successfully carried out within a period of 12 months on a budget of RM3 million based on repairs, replacements and refurbishing.
Obviously if other factors are involved as to the addition of rooms and inclusion of items like lifts, air-conditioning and special equipment or furniture, all those would involve extra costs.
Personally I have seen from experience that such restoration projects in the past, which had involved more than one government agency, ministry or department, would almost always get bogged down by the sheer weight of bureaucracy, paperwork and all sorts of other excuses and reasons.
The favourite 'go-to' responses when queried after a certain project gets delayed or stalled would be: 'There's not enough budget'; 'We overspent the original budget'; 'Couldn't meet the fire hazard conditions'; 'The contractor / sub-con went bust'; '(Prices of) raw materials had increased so fast we could not make a profit,' and 'We had a labour shortage.'
As we are all aware, such excuses are really a dime a dozen here.
In my view—and definitely in my retired architect-friend's view—the old nurses' quarters' restoration project is clear-cut, straightforward with no unseen nor expected complications to arise thereof from.
The budget is straightforward and definitely within the means of whichever ministry it might eventually be 'gifted' to: at the moment, it is the Ministry of Tourism.
All that's needed is the will and the passion to see it through: both of which is already there with the SHS backing it all the way.
A recently-taken interior shot of the front open space, with the point-of-view looking out of the communal room area at old nurses' quarters. — Photo courtesy Colin Macgillivray
As the president of SHS, Datin Rosemarie Wong-Jabu said in her Facebook page on March 20, 2025: 'A first win for Sarawak Heritage Society—to conserve and preserve the Old Nurses' Quarters, Kuching!'
She then thanked a long list of those in the Sarawak government, starting from the Premier himself and finishing off with all those who had helped in one way or another along the way.
Most of all, she had also mentioned those who had volunteered their personal time, effort, special skill sets; as these are the people who were and will be instrumental 'behind the scenes' whom I must also place on record here too: 'Thank you also to the 2,818 of our petition supporters from near and far.
'Thank you to all the former nurses for your invaluable insights through interviews with Mr James SL Yong & Ms Priscilla Tawie.
'Special mention to Mr Colin Macgillivray, Mr Mike Cannon, members of SHS, Sarawak Photo-Art Society, friends of the media and fellow Sarawakians whose unwavering support and encouraging comments to save this significant building…without all of us coming together, this would not have been possible. THANK YOU!'
Now, all that we can do is to await the fruition and completion and of course the future launching of the old nurses' quarters as a repurposed and living heritage building—hopefully next May?
* The opinions expressed in this article are the columnist's own and do not reflect the view of the newspaper. conservation historical Kuching old nurses' quarters
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Barnama
12 hours ago
- Barnama
Original Structure Of Kota Melaka Fortress Unearthed At Taman Larangan
MELAKA, June 18 (Bernama) -- The legendary Kota Melayu Melaka, long celebrated in historical accounts and Malay-Nusantara chronicles as a grand and formidable Malay fort city, has once again come to light following the discovery of the original alignment of the Bastion Hendrica Louisa wall at Bukit Melaka. Registered archaeologist from the Department of National Heritage, Drs Mohd Nasruddin Rahman, said the discovery was made during an excavation at the base of the Taman Larangan stairs, located in front of the Melaka Sultanate Palace in Banda Hilir. The uncovered structure is believed to be part of the original fort, which was later buried beneath new fortifications built by the Portuguese and later upgraded by the Dutch and British during the colonial period. 'This discovery is significant as it confirms the existence of the original Melaka Fort and helps trace the early layout of its walls. The remains include part of the Bastion Hendrica Louisa, which once served as a key southern defence point against attacks from both land and sea. 'Interestingly, the fort was also protected by a moat surrounding the outer wall, estimated to be about five metres wide and deep,' he told Bernama. The excavation, carried out from May 22 to 30, also revealed structural features consistent with bastion designs found in 18th-century Dutch maps. Drs Mohd Nasruddin stressed the importance of protecting the site from being lost to modern development, especially in the Banda Hilir area. He called for strong cooperation from the state government, the Melaka Museum Corporation (Perzim), the Department of National Heritage (JWN), and local authorities. 'This effort aligns with the vision of Chief Minister Datuk Seri Ab Rauf Yusoh, who is committed to ensuring that Melaka's historical legacy is properly documented, preserved, and shared with the public to highlight the glory of the Melaka Sultanate before colonisation,' he said. He also recommended further archaeological work to fully uncover the oval-shaped bastion wall and suggested partially reconstructing a section of the fort wall, similar to what was done at Middlesbrough Bastion.
The Star
5 days ago
- The Star
Sacred book survives plane crash
Compiled by JUNAID IBRAHIM, C. ARUNO and R. ARAVINTHAN A COPY of the Bhagavad Gita, which was found almost intact among the wreckage of the Air India plane crash, has become a talking point among Indian netizens. Videos of one of the rescue workers finding the Hindu holy scriptures with minimal damage on its cover went viral online, Makkal Osai reported. The discovery was even reported on TV. Some people called it a 'miracle' that the book was found in good condition although the entire plane went up in flames. Last Thursday, Air India Flight AI171, which was bound for London, crashed shortly after take-off in the Indian state of Gujarat. There was only one survivor among the 242 people onboard – a 40-year-old British man. Apparently, there has been a constant stream of people trying to access or get near the crash area to take selfies of the air disaster. This has led to many netizens voicing their displeasure over such behaviour. The above articles are compiled from the vernacular newspapers (Bahasa Malaysia, Chinese and Tamil dailies). As such, stories are grouped according to the respective language/medium. Where a paragraph begins with a, it denotes a separate news item.
The Star
5 days ago
- The Star
Indian tribes visit UK museum to bring home ancestors' remains
Naga artefacts on display at the Pitt Rivers Museum in Oxford, Britain, June 13, 2025. REUTERS/Marissa Davison OXFORD, England (Reuters) -Tribes from the Indian state of Nagaland have held talks at a museum in Britain to secure the return of ancestral remains taken during the colonial era and put on display for decades. Skulls and other body parts were often brought from Asia, Africa and elsewhere to Britain and to other former colonial powers, as "trophies", to be traded, displayed or studied. There are growing calls worldwide for such remains, as well as stolen art, to be returned to their communities as part of a centuries-old movement demanding reparations for colonialism and slavery. Just last month, skulls of 19 African Americans were returned to New Orleans from Germany to where they were sent for examination by phrenology - the now discredited belief that the shape and size of a head shows mental ability and character, especially when applied to different ethnic groups. Historians say some of the remains were taken by colonial officers from burial sites and battlefields in Nagaland, where for centuries headhunting was common practice. Others were looted in acts of violence. The Pitt Rivers Museum, which displays collections from Oxford University, holds the world's largest Naga collection, including thousands of artefacts, 41 human remains, primarily skulls, and 178 objects that contain or may contain human hair. It removed all remains from public display in 2020, including ancestors of Dolly Kikon, an anthropologist from Nagaland's Lotha-Naga tribe, who teaches at the University of California and who travelled to Oxford last week. "For the first time, there is a Naga delegation (at the museum) to connect and to reclaim our history, our culture and our belongings," Kikon, 49, told Reuters. Museum director Laura Van Broekhoven said the timing of the return of the remains was still uncertain due to the bureaucracy involved. The museum is also in talks with other groups to facilitate more items being returned. The 23 Naga representatives, including elders of several tribes, repeated calls by British lawmakers and campaigners for the government to legislate to protect ancestral remains. Some European countries, such as the Netherlands, have national policies for the repatriation of human remains. Opponents of reparations argue that contemporary states and institutions should not be held responsible for their past. Advocates say action is needed to address the legacies, such as systemic and structural racism. "One way to confront the colonial legacy is for indigenous people to be able to tell our own stories," Kikon said. (Reporting by Catarina Demony and Marissa Davison; Editing by Kate Holton and Alison Williams)
