US EMBASSY INVITES APPLICATIONS FOR AMBASSADORS FUND FOR CULTURAL HERITAGE RESTORATION

MELAKA (Malaysia), Dec 6 (Bernama) -- The United States embassy in Kuala
Lumpur is calling on organisations in Malaysia to apply for its Ambassadors Fund
for Cultural Preservation, a grant to preserve cultural heritage all around the
world.

Its counsellor for Public Affairs, Scott Rauland, said the grant which
started in 2001 had been given to 640 cultural preservation projects in more
than 100 countries.

"This represents a contribution of nearly US$26 million," he told Bernama,
here, Sunday.

Earlier, he accompanied Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and
Public Affairs, Judith McHale, on a tour of the restored No 8 shoplot in Hereen
Street, here.

McHale who had just arrived here from Jakarta, Indonesia spent more than one
hour touring the shoplot, the Cheng Hoon Teng temple nearby, Jonker Street and
Jalan Tokong.

This was her first visit to Malaysia and she was fascinated by the
preservation work done in the area. Tomorrow, she will be meeting several
goverment officals, including at the Education Ministry, before leaving for
Singapore on Tuesday.

The No 8 shoplot with the Duth design and built in 1794, received
US$18,000 from the grant in 2001 to bring back its former glory. The restoration
was done by Heritage of Malaysia Trust.

The shoplot restoration was one of six projects approved to receive the
grant in Malaysia. The other five included restoring a mid-19th century shoplot
in Penang which received US$20,000, and recording, documenting and spreading
Kenyah traditional music and dance forms in Sarawak (US$15,327).

The others were researching and documenting the dance and music of Manora
and Mak Yong in Kelantan (US$15,000), preservation of rituals performed by the
Kadazan ethnic group in Sabah (US$17,394), and supporting the documentation of
an historic and indigenously multicultural form of opera, and mounting of
public performances in various places in Malaysia (US$7,047).

"The fund is important for the US to help countries preserve their cultural
heritage and to demonstrate US' respect for other cultures. The fund is aimed at
preserving cultural sites or objects that have an historical or cultural
significance to the cultural heritage of Malaysia," he said.

Any organisation interested to apply for the grant can do so by going to
the US embassy in Jalan Tun Razak, Kuala Lumpur.

For more information, visit its website at http://malaysia.usembassy.gov or
the grant's main website at http://exchanges.state.gov/heritage/afcp.html.

-- BERNAMA