Latest news with #NorHanisahAhmad
Malay Mail
27-06-2025
- General
- Malay Mail
The nation's story, told in four galleries at Muzium Negara
KUALA LUMPUR, June 28 — In one corner of Gallery D at Muzium Negara, visitors will find the original Bendera Persekutuan Tanah Melayu. The flag was raised at the Selangor Club Padang (now Dataran Merdeka) after the British Union Jack was lowered on August 31, 1957, at midnight. To Muzium Negara Deputy Director Nor Hanisah Ahmad, it is one of the most important artefacts in the museum's collection. 'That flag is authentic — it's not a reproduction. Some people might think it's a copy, but it's the real one,' she said. 'It's proof that when we gained independence, we started as a federation of 11 states. It marks the moment we took back our identity,' she added. Designed by Mohamed Hamzah, a 29-year-old Public Works Department architect, the flag was selected through a national design competition in 1949 and refined under the guidance of Datuk Onn Jaafar. To involve the public in the decision, The Malay Mail ran a national poll, with the results published on November 28, 1949. Mohamed Hamzah's entry emerged as the firm favourite. The final version — 11 alternating red and white stripes representing the original states, a blue canton symbolising unity, and a yellow crescent and star for Islam — received royal assent from King George VI in May 1950. Seven years later, it was hoisted in place of the Union Jack as Malaya declared independence. For Nor Hanisah, the flag is not just a symbol; it is a chapter in a much longer story. 'You can't just look at one piece. You need to see the whole journey, how we went from prehistoric times all the way to becoming a modern nation,' she said. Muzium Negara Deputy Director Nor Hanisah Ahmad posing in front of Gallery B of the museum. — Picture by Yusof Mat Isa. That journey begins in Gallery A, where the museum's narrative starts with prehistoric Malaya. Here, visitors will see tools used by early humans, such as stone axes for hunting and food preparation. 'We need to understand how our ancestors lived before technology, before modern systems,' Nor Hanisah explained. 'There were no knives, no kitchens. They used stone tools to survive, to hunt, to skin meat. It shows how humans adapted with what they had.' The museum then takes visitors through the transition into the Metal Age, when early humans began using underground metal ores to forge stronger tools — a leap forward that laid the foundation for organised communities. 'At first, they just used what was on the surface — rocks, stones. But then they discovered metal in the earth, and that changed everything. Suddenly, they could create better tools than before. That's where civilisation really starts,' she said. In Gallery B, the narrative shifts to early Malay kingdoms and regional power structures. But Gallery C, Nor Hanisah said, holds one of the most crucial artefacts for understanding Malaya's colonial past: the Pangkor Treaty table. 'I really think people should stop and look at the Pangkor table. That's where it all began — the British started interfering in the internal affairs of the Malay states,' she said. Diorama of the Pangkor Treaty signing table, marking the start of British intervention in the Malay states, displayed at Muzium Negara. — Picture by Yusof Mat Isa Signed in 1874 between Raja Abdullah of Perak and Sir Andrew Clarke, the Pangkor Treaty marked the start of formal British intervention in Malaya. It recognised Raja Abdullah as the legitimate Sultan of Perak in exchange for him accepting a British Resident, who would advise on all matters except Islam and Malay customs. That Resident was J.W.W. Birch, the first in a long line of colonial administrators who would influence state affairs. The model was soon replicated in Selangor, Negeri Sembilan, and Pahang, leading to the formation of the Federated Malay States in 1896 — a structure designed primarily to secure British economic interests, especially in tin and rubber. 'It's a turning point we must remember,' Nor Hanisah said. A visitor observing ancient artefacts in Gallery A of Muzium Negara, which showcases Malaya's early history. – Picture by Yusof Mat Isa She emphasised that the museum's four galleries, arranged chronologically, are designed to help Malaysians make sense of their national story. 'Each gallery has its own strength. We want people to walk through and understand how everything connects — from stone tools to the flag, from ancient survival to national independence,' she said. For Nor Hanisah, every artefact matters, not because of its rarity or visual appeal, but because of what it reveals. 'Every single collection here carries meaning. Every one of them tells a story — sometimes, a thousand and one stories behind a single object,' she said. In a time when historical literacy is often taken for granted, Nor Hanisah hopes the museum's artefacts will continue to speak, quietly but powerfully, to every Malaysian who walks through its doors.
Malay Mail
25-06-2025
- General
- Malay Mail
Too much history, too little room: Muzium Negara's quiet struggle
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.
