KUCHING: The Sarawak Museum Department, in collaboration with various local universities, will conduct a study on the Battle of Beting Maro in 1849, Tourism, Creative Industries and Performing Arts Minister Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said today.
He said a preliminary survey for maritime archaeology research was initiated in July 2024 at Beting Maro, an area of interest in the Betong Division to uncover historical artefacts that could shed light on the war in 1849.
"This study is being conducted in collaboration with experts from various universities, including Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Universiti Malaya, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak and Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) Sarawak Campus," he said in his winding-up speech in the Sarawak Legislative Assembly here today.
He said the Sarawak Museum Department's extensive collections of artefacts, specimens and archival materials, which are unique and inaccessible elsewhere, make them essential for research. He said the collections serve as primary research sources across various fields, including archaeology, natural history, anthropology and history.
It was claimed that several thousand Dayaks had engaged in the battle at Beting Maro. The British lost 29 soldiers and 56 were wounded, while over Dayaks 1,000 died.
Karim said the Sarawak Museum, in collaboration with UiTM Sarawak, will also conduct a study on the Jawi manuscript collection.
"For this, a workshop was organised on Sept 4 and 5, 2024, together with UiTM Sarawak Campus, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS) and the Lembaga Amanah Khairat Yayasan Budaya Melayu Sarawak," he said.