ALOR SETAR: The Ministry of National Unity proposes that a National Database of Malaysian Artifact Collections be created through a centralised digital system that integrates input from all museums at the federal, state, institutional and private levels.
Its Minister Datuk Aaron Ago Dagang said the proposal is not only technical, but strategic as it will organise a secure preservation of the nation’s heritage, in effect to draw a big picture which is the nation’s historical identity rooted in the artifacts.
“It will also allow an inventory of the total collection to be regularly coordinated and updated and support digitisation efforts to protect our heritage.
“Regardless of administrative boundaries or institutional backgrounds, we are united in a noble mission to preserve the country’s historical identity, revive the collective memory of the nation and ensure that these treasures of the past continue to illuminate the path to our future,” he said.
He said this when speaking at the closing ceremony of the national festival of the 2025 International Museum Day here on Tuesday (July 29).
According to him, there are currently 232 museums nationwide, comprising 22 federal museums under the Malaysian Museum Department, 63 agency or institutional museums, 103 state and regional (territorial) museums and 44 private museums.
However, according to him, records of artifact collections are currently managed and stored separately according to their respective agencies and states.
He said this has resulted in no comprehensive big picture of the actual number of artifacts and national heritage treasures in the collections of museums in Malaysia.
“The Ministry of National Unity is ready to lead this initiative together with the Department of Museums Malaysia, supported by a network of strategic partners ranging from state museums and local governments to institutions of higher learning and private industry players.
“With strong synergy, we will not only preserve our heritage but also build bridges of unity, cultivate understanding and strengthen the roots of a pluralistic and harmonious nation,” he said. – Bernama
