Govt offer to gazette Vivekananda Ashram as heritage site rejected - Tourism Minister

The Board of Trustees of the Vivekananda Ashram in Brickfields rejected a government offer in 2008 to gazette the 110-year-old building as a heritage site, Tourism and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz said today.

He said the Department of National Heritage initiated a move on April 25, 2008, to gazette the building for its touristic heritage value but the trustees of the building, located on private land, rejected the offer on Nov 13 of that year.

"It is the government stand that any building or artifact that is more than 100 years old is our national heritage. This is important to retain our heritage values," he said when winding up debate on the Supply Bill 2015 for the ministry in the Dewan Rakyat.

Nazri said he was saddened by the rejection of the government proposal by the owners of the building as the government wanted to retain the building as a national icon and heritage.

Malaysia would lose a heritage tourism product that attracted foreign tourists, particularly from India, if the building was to be demolished for a commercial development as planned, he added.