KUCHING: The Sarawak Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Ministry is not setting any time frame for the Museum Department to complete its research on the discovery of two World War II (WWII) aircraft in the northern region of the state earlier this year.
Its minister, Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said this research process would definitely take time as those involved would need to verify the authenticity of any information that they obtained about the aircraft.
“We are still waiting for the report from the museum department. Both planes are in the northern region, and one of them is quite intact. From what I have gathered, the local community in the area wants the aircraft to be preserved at its current location, as it serves as a potential tourism product for them,” he said.
Speaking after winding up the debate for the Sarawak Budget 2025 at the State Legislative Assembly here today, Abdul Karim said it was crucial to balance local interests with the historical and educational value that the aircraft could bring if included in as museum exhibits.
“From the museum’s perspective, it would also be beneficial to showcase these relics, as they represent artefacts from the World War Two,” he explained.
Based on earlier media reports, one of the aircraft was identified as a Mitsubishi A6M fighter plane, belonging to the Japanese Air Force, which was nicknamed ‘Zero’ during World War Two, whereas the other plane was an American one but the model has yet to be identified, and both planes were found in a border village in Lawas, Sarawak’s northernmost district.
“One of the aircraft appears to have landed rather than crashed, given its relatively intact condition. If it had been shot down, it would have been destroyed. This suggests the aircraft might have managed to land,” Abdul Karim said.
Although there are preliminary evidence suggesting the origins of the aircraft, he said there had not been any communications made with the embassies of the countries concerned.
“We want to avoid being in a rush, and want to ensure that all details are correct before sharing the findings with the countries involved. Respect must be given to the pilots who may have perished and their memories must be honoured appropriately,” he said.
When asked whether he had given the Museum Department a time frame for them to complete their research, he said there is no specific period being set but he urged the department to expedite the process.
“Before I leave the ministry, I want to know the fate of those pilots and also the full story behind these discoveries,” he added.
