IPOH: The National Archives of Malaysia is calling on the public to contribute recorded materials showing how they celebrate National Day and Malaysia Day.
Its director-general, Zaidin Mohd Noor, said the department was seeking documented materials on activities or programmes held in conjunction with the celebrations, particularly from the rakyat’s perspective.
“This year, we are popularising the ways in which National Day and Malaysia Day are celebrated.
“We want to look not only at the government’s perspective, but also that of the community,” he told a press conference after the opening of the 30th Southeast Asia-Pacific Audiovisual Archive Association Conference by National Unity Minister Datuk Aaron Ago Dagang here on Monday (June 8).
“We want to obtain records from the community on programmes involving the government, as well as those organised by the communities themselves,” he added.
Aaron said the Community Archives Celebration initiative, which began about two years ago, aimed to collect and document historical materials from the people.
He said more than 300,000 items, including photographs, publications, audiovisual materials and personal artefacts, had been collected over the past few years.
“This is very important because we are moving with new technology now.
“If we do not preserve these items in archive form, we will lose them and the new generation will not be able to see them,” he said.
“In Sarawak, for example, how many people are still involved in hill paddy farming? If it is not documented, it will be lost,” he said, adding that such materials would be preserved in various formats.
Aaron said those who contributed materials to the National Archives would receive a token of appreciation.
He said the public could submit materials to the National Archives through its website.
“We have a programme to welcome and receive these materials.
“There was an elderly man who wrote and kept a book about his family history, how he grew up and how he became successful.
“He wanted it to be preserved for the new generation,” he said.
