Lat’s distinctive cartoon characters welcome visitors to Bank Negara’s Financial LATeracy exhibition at Borneo Cultures Museum.
Kampung Boy characters help Kuching folk learn how to manage money wisely
MAT, Yeop, Opah and the fearsome Mrs Hew – they are all there.
The familiar cartoon figures by Malaysian artist Datuk Mohammad Nor Khalid, better known as Lat, now welcome visitors to a new exhibition at the Borneo Cultures Museum in Kuching.
This is Bank Negara’s Financial LATeracy travelling exhibition, which aims to educate the public on personal financial management and consumer responsibilities.
According to Bank Negara Malaysia Museum and Art Gallery (BNM MAG) curator Wan Muhammad Danial Wan Omar, financial literacy is about understanding how to manage one’s money wisely.
Visitors taking photos of a display at the Financial LATeracy exhibition.
This involves knowing how to budget, or plan one’s spending, saving money for the future and making informed financial decisions about investing or applying for loans.
“Being financially literate helps you make decisions that can improve your quality of life and avoid falling into financial scams.
“Think of it this way: if you know how to handle your money well, you can make choices that lead to a more secure future.
“It’s like having a roadmap for your finances, whether you want to buy a house, save for education, or plan for retirement,” he said in an email interview.
The Financial LATeracy exhibition has now travelled to six states, with Borneo Cultures Museum the latest venue.
Financial LATeracy, which opened at Borneo Cultures Museum last month, displays cartoons by Lat which were featured in Bank Negara’s “buku wang saku” (BWS) or pocket money books for school children.
Wan Muhammad Danial said BWS served as a learning tool to instil the culture and habits of smart personal money management among students.
“Featured prominently in BWS are characters from the Kampung Boy cartoon series, such as Mat and Mrs Hiew, renowned for her fierce personality.
Visitors can check the security features of banknotes at an interactive display.
“The caricatures used in this exhibition simplify complex financial management subjects for easy understanding.
“For example, when making a purchase, it teaches us to compare prices to help us make the right decisions based on our budget,” he said.
Wan Muhammad Danial said Lat’s imaginative and entertaining drawings elevated the exhibition’s presentations which addressed many facets of financial management such as savings, debt management, epayments and retirement planning.
He said the exhibition also provided important tips to prevent people from falling victim to financial scams, particularly in the digital world.
The ‘buku wang saku’ or pocket money books for school children featuring cartoons by Lat.
Citing data from the National Scam Response Centre, he said Sarawak recorded 1,177 scam calls from October last year to September this year, with losses estimated at RM12.5mil.
“The majority of victims in Sarawak are individuals aged below 40 and the financial scams are predominantly e-commerce fraud, non-existent loan scams and telecommunication scams,” he said.
Borneo Cultures Museum is Financial LATeracy’s latest venue after having travelled to Alor Setar, Penang State Museum, Muzium Darul Ridzuan in Perak, Terengganu State Museum and Sabah State Museum.
It was first held at the Bank Negara Malaysia Museum and Art Gallery in Kuala Lumpur in 2015.
Hanizan with his daughter trying out some of the interactive displays at the exhibition.
“We are dedicated to promoting financial literacy and fostering responsible financial management. Our objective is to reach a broad audience spanning students, professionals and the general public.
“Through our ongoing exhibition in Kuching, we aspire to leave a lasting impact on as many individuals as we can from now until May 9, 2024,” Wan Muhammad Danial said.
He said BNM MAG would organise various activities during the six months of the exhibition in Kuching.
These include pocket talks on topics related to financial literacy, community outreach programmes in conjunction with the Kuching District Office and Sembang Santai with Lat for university students.
Visitors of all ages can enjoy and learn from the Financial LATeracy exhibition.
“Our primary aim is to instil a deep understanding of effective financial management.
“We believe that financial literacy is a lifelong learning journey and our exhibition serves as a valuable resource for individuals to enhance their financial knowledge.
“By empowering people with the skills to manage their finances wisely, we hope to contribute to a financially savvy and secure community,” he added.
Teacher Hanizan Ponijan, who visited the exhibition with his daughter, said it provided useful information about finances, savings and payment methods.
“It is easy to understand and even children can be interested and learn from it,” he said, adding that an interactive section with games was also fun for all.
