Sabah museum gets more visitors

KOTA KINABALU: THE Sabah Museum here continues to attract visitors with the upgrading of several galleries and introduction of new segments and programmes.

The number of visitors jumped by 14 per cent last year (334,162) compared with 2011 (286,631).

This was based on the number of visits to the main museum building, the Islamic Civilisation Museum, the Heritage Village and the science building.

Seventy-five per cent of the visitors were Malaysians, Sabah Museum director Joanna Kitingan said here yesterday.

She said the upgraded galleries were the history, archeology and ethnography/culture sections, while the new additions were the head-hunting gallery and the hands-on traditional musical instruments studio.

“Last month, we started the ‘Night Safari’ with focus on getting school students to experience the museum at night via a treasure hunt-like game while staying at the Heritage Village. Some 140 students participated in this programme, including 40 foreigners, during the December school break.”

The museum planned to continue this activity during long school holidays but would consider doing it more often if there were requests from schools.

Joanna also said the total number of visitors to the 12 museums in the state, including the six interior museums, was 440,612, up by 15 per cent from 373,794 the previous year.

Among programmes lined up for this year were the “Unique Copper Collections: Kettles” exhibition, which will be on for three months from April at the Islamic Civilisation Museum, a demonstration of indigenous healing rituals in May at the Heritage Village, and the opening of the Sports Gallery in July.

Source : New Straits Times