KUCHING: Sarawak's Niah National Park is on the cusp of achieving global recognition as it enters the final stages of being declared a Unesco World Heritage Site, the Sarawak Public Communications Unit reported.
Urban Planning, Land Administration and Environment Deputy Minister Datuk Len Talif Salleh announced the progress, highlighting the international significance of this potential designation.
"Niah National Park has been nominated for inclusion as a Unesco World Heritage Site, and we are now in the crucial final selection phase.
"The upcoming meetings in Paris are preliminary, involving the executive committee of 50 Unesco member countries. The final decision will be made at a meeting in New Delhi next July," he said during an Aidilfitri Open House at his Demak Baru residence.
Situated approximately 110 kilometres from Miri City, Niah National Park is renowned for its historical significance as a site of human settlement dating back over 40,000 years.
This claim is supported by archaeological findings including Paleolithic and Neolithic cemeteries, as well as ancient wall paintings discovered within the park's caves, making it a site of great archaeological and cultural importance on the global stage.