Deputy Premier moots plan to beautify sacred rock along Rock Road as unique attraction

By Karen Bong

KUCHING, Oct 30: A plan is being explored to transform the historic Batu Kinyang, a sacred rock along Rock Road believed by local folklore to still be growing, into a landscaped garden adjoining the Sri Maha Mariamman Temple, creating a unique attraction for devotees, visitors and tourists.

Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Dr Sim Kui Hian said he had been working with the Department of Irrigation and Drainage (DID) to revisit the site and assess how it could be landscaped and incorporated into the temple’s surroundings.

He said the proposal involved creating a garden around the natural sandstone outcrop, allowing the temple to adopt and maintain the area while preserving its historical and cultural significance.

“That is why the road here is named Rock Road. It is State land, and there is also a big monsoon drain, so we will see how we can landscape it so that devotees and others can enjoy the temple surroundings.

“We do it not only for the Hindu faith but for Sarawak,” he said after witnessing the Sri Maha Mariamman Temple’s Maha Kumbhabhishegam (Temple Consecration Ceremony) today.

Dr Sim described the rock as an overlooked heritage feature with considerable potential, saying it was currently an “unpolished gold” that could become a distinctive landmark if properly developed.

He said the rock was believed to be naturally growing, making it worthwhile to preserve and enhance the site rather than leave it unattended.

“Once you do the landscaping and incorporate it into the temple, the temple can adopt and look after it. This will create a surrounding not only for Hindus to visit but also for others, including visitors and tourists,” he said.

He envisioned the landscaped site becoming a unique attraction for Sri Maha Mariamman Temple, potentially making it one of the few temples with a sacred natural rock formation in its immediate surroundings.

Dr Sim said expertise from landscape designers and historians would be needed to study the site and develop an appropriate plan, adding that the Unit for Other Religions (Unifor) could potentially contribute funding towards the initiative.

He stressed that the proposed enhancement was not solely about preserving a religious site but also about celebrating Sarawak’s shared heritage and multicultural identity.

“This temple is the pride not only of the Hindu faith but also of Sarawakians. People can come and see this is Sarawak, its racial harmony and religious harmony,” he said.

Batu Kinyang, also known as the Sacred Rock or Batu Keramat, is a historic sandstone outcrop believed to have given Rock Road its name.

According to Sarawakian writer and researcher James Yong, citing W.J. Chater’s “Sarawak Long Ago”, the Malay name Batu Kinyang means crystal stone.

The rock was traditionally regarded by some members of the local Malay community as keramat, or sacred, with folklore attributing miraculous powers to it. There were also beliefs that the stone could grow in size.

In the past, people reportedly left offerings of food and flowers, as well as lighted candles, at the site.

Historical accounts also record that a small shed was built on top of the rock in 1897, commissioned by the mother of Ong Kwan Hin of the prominent Ong Tiang Swee family after her son recovered from a serious childhood illness following her prayers at the outcrop.

Dr Sim said the temple’s consecration ceremony was also a proud occasion for Sarawak, reflecting the State’s long-standing tradition of religious and cultural coexistence.

He noted that Hinduism had a history spanning more than 3,000 years and was increasingly practised and embraced beyond the Indian community.

He cited examples of cultural interaction across communities, including Dayak people in Sri Aman who were familiar with trance rituals practised in Chinese Taoist temples.

“That’s the best thing about Sarawak. In Sri Aman, there are Dayak people who even know the trance ritual practised by the Chinese in Taoist temples. So this is Sarawak,” he said.

Dr Sim also pointed to the Tua Pek Kong Temple in Sibu, which has embraced and helped maintain its surrounding riverbank, as another example of how religious institutions and local communities could contribute to preserving public spaces.

He said the Sarawak government valued the involvement of religious communities and non-governmental organisations in caring for heritage sites and public spaces, reflecting a collective responsibility in nation-building.

“We really want all this harmony and let the local community, be it religious groups or NGOs, help us look after all these places because we are a nation building together,” he said.

He said the proposed Batu Kinyang landscaping project would similarly provide an opportunity for the temple and wider community to work together in preserving a piece of Kuching’s history while creating a place that all Sarawakians could appreciate.

Sri Maha Mariamman Temple Association Kuching president Dato Shankar Ram Asnani welcomed the proposal.

“We have already been looking after it (the sacred rock) for many years. When I came in as the president, I used to get them to clear the grass and all the rubbish around the area.

“We should cherish this because I remember when I was a small boy, the rock was only up to my knee. But today, it is taller than me. This rock is growing. Strangely, I don’t know why,” he said. — DayakDaily

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