An American bomber plane, a sense of nationhood and Tunku Abdul Rahman: Muzium Negara's origin story

Malay Mail

3 days ago

KUALA LUMPUR, June 25 — The story of how Muzium Negara came to be is pretty dramatic as it involves an American Boeing B-29 bomber plane in 1945.
In March of that year, the American bomber was aiming for the railway yards in then-Japanese occupied Kuala Lumpur but missed and struck the Selangor Museum instead.
That bombing during World War II destroyed the original museum built in 1907 .What followed was nearly a decade of cultural 'void.'
'There was only a temporary structure after that, just one small building put up in 1953,' said Nor Hanisah Ahmad, deputy director of Muzium Negara.
'We didn't have a proper museum until after Merdeka,' she added.
A combination photo shows aerial views of Muzium Negara, past and present. — Picture courtesy of Jabatan Muzium Malaysia
After independence in 1957, then-Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman believed the young nation needed a national museum — not just to house artefacts but to tell the story of the country.
That vision was brought to life by two key figures: Mervyn Sheppard — an Irish-born cultural adviser who later embraced Islam, became a Malayan citizen and took the name Mubin Sheppard — and Ho Kok Hoe, a Singapore-based architect.
In his book titled 'Taman Budiman: Memoirs of an Unorthodox Civil Servant,' Sheppard recalled how an early government sketch for the museum looked 'nothing Malayan' and how his protest to the British architect was ignored.
Tunku Abdul Rahman agreed with Sheppard and asked him to find someone who could design a museum with a Malaysian soul.
Sheppard turned to Ho.
'One evening in 1958, the late Tan Sri Mubin Sheppard came to my office and asked if I wanted to design a Muzium Negara for Kuala Lumpur,' Ho recalled back in 2003. 'I said, 'Of course, I'd love to.' Within two days, I was flown to KL to meet Tunku.'
'Tunku reminded me that Malayan architecture must form the basis of the new museum's design,' Ho also said.
Tunku was deeply involved in shaping that vision.
Temporary museum after Muzium Selangor mistakenly bombed by an American B 29 bomber. — Picture courtesy of Jabatan Muzium Malaysia
During the museum's official opening on August 31, 1963, he explained why it mattered.
'Before Merdeka, we only had a small museum in Kuala Lumpur,' he said in his speech.
'After we achieved independence, we thought it was right to take pride in our historical artefacts and cultural heritage, and that these should be displayed properly. So, it became clear that we needed a new national museum,' he explained.
He had personally instructed preparations to begin in September 1958.
'This building is a source of pride, not just for me but for the people of this nation,' he said.
To ensure authenticity, Tunku sent Ho to Alor Setar, Kedah to study the Balai Besar, one of the few remaining traditional Malay palaces.
'He created a majestic building, the kind you would not find in London or New York, but only here in Malaya,' Tunku said about Ho.
'The museum itself contains elements of Malay craftsmanship, inside and out.'
Together, both Ho and Sheppard toured royal towns and buildings in Kedah and the East Coast, drawing inspiration from carved timber palaces and traditional Malay forms.
The result was a bold design grounded in local heritage, with a structure inspired by the Balai Besar and adorned with traditional motifs.
Construction began in 1959 and was completed in 1963, on the very site of the old Selangor Museum — a symbolic decision.
The old Selangor museum before the bombing in 1945. — Picture courtesy of Jabatan Muzium Malaysia
'It was the border between Kuala Lumpur and Selangor at the time, so it was seen as a great location,' said Nor Hanisah.
Funding, however, remained a challenge — especially for the striking front-facing murals.
Tunku acknowledged the many private and international contributions that made the project possible.
Among them was Tan Sri Lee Kong Chian who donated the massive mosaic murals made in Venice, Italy.
'These murals were made from Italian glass mosaics and are a beautiful gift. It adds grandeur to the building,' Tunku said.
He also noted contributions from the government of Pakistan, which donated the mosaic flooring in the museum's main hall, and Singaporean businessman Aw Cheng Chye who donated the terrazzo tiles flanking the museum's staircase.
Even a 900-year-old bronze statue discovered in a tin mine in Sungai Siput was gifted by 'Towkay' The Seng Chew.
'His gift was warmly received and deeply appreciated,' said Tunku.
Nor Hanisah noted that the murals remain one of the museum's most recognisable features.
'People know Muzium Negara not only for its architecture, but also for the mural at the front of the building,' she said.
'It depicts the heritage and history of our nation,' she added.
The museum also became a canvas for local talent.
Kelantan-born artist Nik Zainal Abidin Nik Salleh was commissioned to design traditional motifs throughout the interior, from decorative screens and wooden beams to a now-iconic emblem bearing the words 'Muzium Negara' in Arabic script framed by hibiscus leaves.
Tunku expressed hope that the museum would be more than just a structure. He wanted it to become a place of learning, pride, and cultural advancement.
'It is my hope that positions in this museum will attract highly qualified individuals,' he said.
'This museum must be given sufficient funding so it can serve education, research, and progress,' he added.
A commemorative book published for its 60th anniversary in 2023 described Muzium Negara as a 'symbol of unity' in post-independence Malaysia, a project shaped by donations from ordinary Malaysians, royalty, private companies, and foreign governments.
'Many came forward with donations and contributions... with great pride,' the book noted, a collective spirit that turned a national dream into concrete and tile.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim once described Muzium Negara as more than just a repository of artefacts — he saw it as a potential centre for knowledge and learning.
'Transforming museums into centres of learning might be a new concept for our country, but in more developed nations, they serve as vital hubs of knowledge,' Anwar said in 1984, during his tenure as Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports.
Today, Muzium Negara stands as one of the few remaining post-Merdeka landmarks to wear its cultural identity on its walls — literally and architecturally.
Its story, born of war, vision, and community spirit, remains etched in glass, concrete, and memory.
Muzium Negara Deputy Director Nor Hanisah Ahmad. — Picture by Yusof Mat Isa
Nor Hanisah said the Muzium Negara will always remain relevant to Malaysia as it is a place to learn from the past.
'Because nowadays, everyone is chasing things that are in the future, things that lie ahead, like technology or whatever we envision for the future,' she said.
'But actually, we cannot abandon our history. We have to look at our history, we have to understand it, how else can we prove our origins, defend our rights, and so on?'
'And that's why we need museums because with museums, people can see real, tangible evidence,' she concluded.