KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has urged educational institutions and universities including Universiti Malaya, to leverage the exhibition showcasing the historic and rich cultural exchanges of the Malay world.
He said, this prompt is also pointed to National Archives of Malaysia, Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka and National Library.
Anwar said it is important to delve into the history of storytelling in the region, particularly on how the spread of Islam contributed to the formation of a dynamic Malay-Islamic heritage, including its culture and arts.
“This is an unique and commemorable exhibition, it’s not always you have this exhibition with this standard in the region, I follow development in the region very closely and this exhibition is exceptional in terms of content and messages,” he said.
Anwar said this in his speech when launching “Oceans that Speak: Islam and the Emergence of the Malay World” exhibition at Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia (IAMM) here yesterday.
Also present was the Prime Minister’s wife Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail.
According to the press release by IAMM, the exhibition looks at how the Malay Archipelago became a hub of global maritime trade and intellectual exchange, which propelled the expansion of Islam and thus secured a dynamic cultural and artistic legacy.
This exhibition also shows how the maritime links of the Malay world created avenues for spread of cultural and artistic innovation.
“Silversmiths, batik makers and even photographers reveal the region as a cultural crossroads. Such globalisation of materials, ideas and artistic vocabularies has left a legacy with echoes across the Malay today,” according to the statement.
The Malay world, lying between the South China Sea and the Indian Ocean, has always been at the center of international trade, especially during the Spice Route era.
This landmark exhibition is open from Dec 13 to June 15, 2025.
