Heritage Society calls for preservation of Kuching’s historic nurses’ quarter after retention pond project suspended

KUCHING, Aug 7 — The Sarawak Heritage Society (SHS) is seeking an audience with the Sarawak Irrigation and Drainage Department to further discuss the conservation of the old nurses’ quarters building at Jalan Crookshank.

SHS president Datin Rosemarie Wong-Jabu said the society hoped the current building could be retained as a heritage site and that the Sarawak government would identify alternative land for flood mitigation purposes.

“But if this is ultimately the only feasible location for the retention pond, perhaps officials could consider retaining portions of the building, at least the façade, to preserve the historical integrity of this important site,” she said in a statement.

The statement follows yesterday’s call by the Minister of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts, Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, for the proposed demolition of the former nurses’ quarters to be suspended pending a study of alternative proposals to mitigate flooding in the surrounding area.

A water retention pond had been proposed at the site of the former nurses’ quarters to deal with flooding at Sarawak General Hospital and its surroundings during heavy rains.

Wong-Jabu said any member of the public wishing to contribute ideas on alternative engineering methods to mitigate flooding problems while preserving the nurses’ quarters can contact SHS through its website at www.sarawakheritagesociety.com.

She felt it was important to preserve and redevelop the nurses’ quarters, which date back to colonial times.

“The building can either be redeveloped into housing for deserving families of those seeking treatment at SGH, or host exhibits on the history of medicine and encourage more people to join the nursing profession.

“The Nurses’ Quarters is a living testimony to the medical development in Sarawak, and it is imperative that we preserve this building for future generations. It is a monument, and as such, it is part of our heritage. It is a monument to the excellence of the nursing profession in Sarawak,” she said.

SHS agreed that a proper investigation should be conducted and a second opinion sought, she said.

She added that SHS was grateful that a stop work order had been proposed and recommended that the nurses’ quarters be assessed and considered for listing.

“The colonial architectural style of the former nurses’ quarters reflects the older part of the Sarawak General Hospital (SGH) building which is still part of the hospital, and the authentically preserved façade of the Ministry of Health.

“As a nurses’ quarters, this sentimental building would have had a rich history and a noble purpose: to house trained and qualified nurses in the important service of health care,” she said.

She stressed that the building represents the architecture of a period in Sarawak’s history.

“It is elegant and designed to serve its purpose: a comfortable and well-appointed facility to accommodate young women from all over Sarawak to train as nurses. Social welfare and culture are integrated into the design.

“SHS and concerned members of the public feel that we should at least honour and preserve the construction site for being a place of salvation that would have touched the lives of so many people through these nurses,” she said.

The former nurses’ quarters, built in 1953, housed trainee nurses and staff of SGH, the largest hospital in Sarawak.

It has not been used for nearly 30 years, after the Health Ministry built nursing training institutes in Jalan Puncak Borneo and Kota Sentosa.

The Sarawak Health Department stopped using the premises in 2018 and moved to the new training centre in Penrissen.

On Sunday, Prime Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg said the government would consider the SHS’s request to preserve the historic Jalan Crookshank nurses’ quarter. — The Borneo Post