Abd Karim: Ministry still waiting Museum Dept’s report on WWII fighter jets found near Lawas border

KUCHING (Nov 19): The Ministry of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts is still waiting for a report from the Sarawak Museum Department regarding the discovery of two fighter jets from World War II near the Sabah-Sarawak border.

Its Minister Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said his ministry will only decide what to make of these historical artefacts upon the completion of the department’s research.

“Both of these planes are in the northern region…if I am not mistaken, in Lawas and one (of them) is quite intact.

“But from what I gather, the locals down there would also want it to be preserved. It is a good tourism product for them, and it would also be good for the museum because this is something that we can showcase,” he told a press conference at the State Legislative Assembly (DUN) Complex Media Room here today.

He was asked on the progress of the two aircrafts, one believed to be a Japanese Zero fighter and the other reportedly an American aircraft.

Abdul Karim said the new discovery of artefacts would often need more time for the research to be completed.

“In this case, we would want to know who brought the plane, how did fall, and whether it got shot, for instance.

“But I think one of the aircraft might have landed safely since it was found to still be quite intact,” he said.

He said he has not set any time frame for the Museum Department to complete its research.

“When it comes to research like this, we don’t normally have a specific time frame like when we construct a building which has schedule to meet.”

When asked if the ministry has approached the respective embassies on a form of collaboration for research, Abdul Karim said he does not want to rush into things at the moment.

“If we do so, the information that we relay to the other side might be wrong. We have to be very careful to avoid any misinformation.

“So, until the research is completed by the museum, only then we will follow through with the respective countries,” he said.

Earlier when delivering his ministerial winding-up speech at the DUN Sitting, Abdul Karim said Sarawak Museum Department’s reputation as the guardian of Sarawak and Borneo heritage had encouraged donations and repatriation of objects and antiquities from all around the world.

These included a set of 27 miniature cannons which were recently donated to the Sarawak Museum by Peter Hamer, a Dutch collector, as well as the repatriation of the Kenyah-Badeng Sun Hat at the Pitt Rivers Museum in Oxford, UK, he said.