Too much history, too little room: Muzium Negara's quiet struggle

Malay Mail

3 days ago

KUALA LUMPUR, June 26 — Muzium Negara, just across from KL Sentral, may look big from the outside but inside, there's barely enough room for Malaysia's past.
Behind its grand façade, a quiet space crunch is limiting how Malaysia tells its own story.
'We have about half a million artefacts. But what's on display, maybe just 10 to 11 per cent,' said Muzium Negara Deputy Director Nor Hanisah Ahmad.
The museum currently operates four main galleries and several temporary exhibition spaces, but even that, she says, is stretched thin.
'We get asked, 'Why isn't this era shown?' or 'Where's this story?'"
"The truth is, we don't have enough room to tell everything,' she explained.
While the museum rotates themed exhibitions annually, and even takes exhibits on the road through its travelling showcases, the challenge remains: history takes up space and Malaysia's national museum does not have enough of it.
For context, Muzium Negara spans approximately 4,970 square metres across its three levels.
In contrast, the British Museum in London covers over 92,000 square metres, while the National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C. — part of the Smithsonian — offers around 30,000 square metres of exhibition space.
Closer to home, the National Museum of Singapore spans 18,400 square metres — more than three times the size of Muzium Negara.
A legacy building, a growing collection
Muzium Negara is housed in a gazetted heritage building, which means any structural upgrades or expansions are far from straightforward.
'Maintenance is not just about the artefacts, the building itself is a heritage structure,' Nor Hanisah said.
'We have to care for both,' she added.
Many of the items not on display are stored offsite — one facility is housed within the Department of Museums Malaysia, another in Bangi.
Additional storage exists in Lukut, Negeri Sembilan, the Perak museum and in Langkawi.
But storage is only one part of the problem.
Every time an object is displayed, it faces potential damage from light exposure and environmental wear and tear.
With limited conservation staff, regular upkeep is an ongoing challenge.
'Sometimes we bring in conservation interns from universities like UMK just to help back us up,' she said.
Muzium Negara Deputy Director Nor Hanisah Ahmad speaks during an interview with Malay Mail. — Picture by Yusof Mat Isa
A museum shaped by priorities
Each year, Muzium Negara applies for allocations to expand its building footprint — but Nor Hanisah is candid about where the museum stands in the bigger national picture.
'If you had to choose between building a hospital or a museum, of course you'd pick the hospital," she said.
'We understand the limitations the country faces."
"But it also means we have to make do,' she added.
And so, the museum carries on with what it has.
Temporary exhibitions are often held in shared spaces with the Department of Museums Malaysia next door.
Despite the cramped conditions, the team continues to curate meaningful showcases, backed by internal discussions and expert input on what stories to prioritise.
'When there's too much to tell, we have to pick the big, important events," she explained.
"What we can't show in the main galleries, we try to highlight in our temporary exhibitions,' she added.
More than just storage
For Nor Hanisah, the deeper issue is not just about square footage.
It's about how Malaysians see their museums.
'People say museums are boring, but who decided they're boring?" she questioned.
"Often it's people who haven't even been,' she said.
'If our mentality doesn't change, even if we make the museum high-tech, with all kinds of events and activities, it still won't matter,' she emphasised.
Since the pandemic, the museum has actually seen a rise in footfall; Nor Hanisah said last year, Muzium Negara received more than 500,000 visitors.
She believes the surge in interest began partly due to limited travel options during the movement control order, which helped popularise Muzium Negara.
More importantly, she feels Malaysians are now beginning to appreciate the value of their own heritage.
On the day Malay Mail visited, a steady stream of express buses, chartered to ferry schoolchildren, university students, and tourist groups, arrived throughout the day, quickly filling up the designated bus parking area.
The car park was also packed to capacity.
A visitor at Muzium Negara reads about the Japanese Occupation of Malaya (1941–1945). — Picture by Yusof Mat Isa
'They come back after 30 years, this time with their grandchildren, and they realise the museum is not what they remember from their school trips," she observed.
"We've improved,' she added.
Even so, operating a national museum on tight funds means every ringgit has to stretch.
Tickets remain RM2 for adults, free for schoolchildren, and RM1 for senior citizens — 55 years old and above — and people with disabilities; not nearly enough to cover operational costs.
'We don't charge for profit — it's for data,' she said.
'Even the RM2 ticket doesn't cover the cost of the paper."
"But the data helps us plan, justify funding, and improve,' she explained.
And sometimes, she simply walks the galleries herself, speaking to visitors.
'That's how we get ideas to improve," she said.
"Foreign visitors really appreciate what we have — it's good to hear that from them,' she added.
Still, Nor Hanisah is realistic about the road ahead.
'We want to show so much more."
"But until we get more space, more funding, we'll keep doing the best we can with what we have,' she concluded.