ID :
63926
Wed, 06/03/2009 - 09:51
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://www.oananews.org//node/63926
The shortlink copeid
M'SIANS TAKE ANCIENT MALAY MANUSCRIPTS FROM RIAU ISLANDS
Pekanbaru, Riau, June 2 (ANTARA) - A number of Malaysian academics have over the past three years moved some 60 ancient Malay manuscripts from Riau Islands province to their country, a culturalist said.
"Academics from a noted university in Malaysia have hunted ancient manuscripts and taken most of the documents from locations in Riau Islands such as Lingga Island, Bintan and Penyengat to their country. In Riau mainland, however, I never heard such a thing had happened," Al-Azhar, the local culturalist said here Tuesday.
Al Azhar said, Malaysia had intensified hunts for ancient manuscripts in Indonesia in a bid to find proof of their Malay identity to support its advertising slogan of "truly Asia".
He said that historical documents which had moved to the neighbouring country mostly dated back to the 19th century like Tafsir (Qur'anic translatation and explanation), the ancient Al-Quran, poems, memoirs or diaries of Malay poets.
The Malaysian academics hunted the ancient scripts which were not stored in museums but kept by individuals at home, he said, adding that the price of one manuscript could reach millions of rupiah.
Al-Azhar said, he could not do much to prevent the hunting action, because the Indonesian government was not too serious in preserving Indonesia's cultural heritage.
"The scripts of ancient cultural heritage are open to be learnt by academics from various parts of the world. But, it does not mean that Malaysia is entitled to have the scripts," he said.
The Indonesian government still have an opportunity to claim and take back the scripts located in Malaysia, because every script
has identity of the author, place and date of the making of ancient script on the last page of book. ***3***
T.K-FB/
"Academics from a noted university in Malaysia have hunted ancient manuscripts and taken most of the documents from locations in Riau Islands such as Lingga Island, Bintan and Penyengat to their country. In Riau mainland, however, I never heard such a thing had happened," Al-Azhar, the local culturalist said here Tuesday.
Al Azhar said, Malaysia had intensified hunts for ancient manuscripts in Indonesia in a bid to find proof of their Malay identity to support its advertising slogan of "truly Asia".
He said that historical documents which had moved to the neighbouring country mostly dated back to the 19th century like Tafsir (Qur'anic translatation and explanation), the ancient Al-Quran, poems, memoirs or diaries of Malay poets.
The Malaysian academics hunted the ancient scripts which were not stored in museums but kept by individuals at home, he said, adding that the price of one manuscript could reach millions of rupiah.
Al-Azhar said, he could not do much to prevent the hunting action, because the Indonesian government was not too serious in preserving Indonesia's cultural heritage.
"The scripts of ancient cultural heritage are open to be learnt by academics from various parts of the world. But, it does not mean that Malaysia is entitled to have the scripts," he said.
The Indonesian government still have an opportunity to claim and take back the scripts located in Malaysia, because every script
has identity of the author, place and date of the making of ancient script on the last page of book. ***3***
T.K-FB/
