Published in the August 05, 2010 issue of BusinessWorld
TEXT and PHOTOS BY JENNEE GRACE U. RUBRICO
A TRADITIONAL vessel
What made it eerie was the burial drum beside it, so identified by
the text written on a stand outside the glass case, and a reconstructed
burial site. It didn’t help that skeletons of prehistoric men, said to
have been found in different parts of Malaysia, were lined up in open
graves just behind these, or that burial jars -- one of them broken at
the bottom with a skeletal hand protruding from the gap -- were in the
next glass casket.
In another building at the compound, I had earlier seen similar coffins -- smaller ones that looked like wooden containers with fancy lids -- as well as a chair for dead women which, I was surprised to find out, is an invention of the folks of Kalinga in northern Philippines. The chair, made of rattan, stood in front of a poster that not only explained how the chair was used but also had an illustration of the process. (I was quite taken aback that I would come to know about this burial practice overseas, but I consoled myself with the fact that I come from the southernmost part of the country, which, of course, is no excuse for my ignorance).
A
wedding banquet tableau
I felt my stomach turn after spending the better part of the morning looking at death and the dead. Luckily, I hadn’t had time for breakfast that day.
My nauseous state, however, was no indication of the kind of day I was having; despite feeling that I had seen more than enough representations of death for the short term, I was enjoying my visit to Malaysia’s national museum, the Muzium Negara.
A dining room
Located in the capital city of Kuala Lumpur, the national museum
opened on Aug. 31, 1963. It stands on the grounds of what used to be the
Selangor Museum, built in 1906. The right wing of that museum was
bombed by the Allied Forces in 1945, and after World War II the entire
place was demolished to make way for a new museum.
Designed by Ho Kok Hoe, the national museum is said to be inspired by "the Malay royal palaces and vernacular Malay architecture." Probably the first thing that would grab the visitor’s attention is a mural made of Italian glass mosaic on the faéade of the building. The museum explains that the mural depicts important historical events and crafts in Malaysia.
The museum is a must-visit for tourists who want to get a snapshot of Malaysia’s old culture and young political history. It houses four galleries, the first of which showcases Malaysia’s early history, covering the Permian, prehistory and proto-history eras. In this section, the finds in prehistoric archeological sites in Malaysia are showcased, and replicas of the finds -- including Perak Man, a 10,000 year old skeleton and Malaysia’s oldest inhabitant -- are displayed. Also on display are the burial jars and other remains of death; moulds of skulls of ancient men and their ancestors, soil samples, and prehistoric tools. A highlight in this section is a cave with a transparent LCD that depicts the life of prehistoric people.
The Malaysian version of sungka
Across from this gallery is the Malay Kingdoms section. Covered in
this gallery are early trade routes; the early Malay Kingdoms; a section
on Malacca, the center of the spice trade and the cradle of Malaysian
civilization; and the contemporary Malay kingdoms. The imposing wall and
120-year-old door of the palace of the Malay state of Setul, which was
ruled by the Sultanate of Kedah from 1843 to its cessation to Thailand
in 1909, welcome visitors in this section. The wall and door are made of
teak and carved with leaves and flowers -the symbol of the state.
On the second floor are two more galleries: the Colonial Era gallery and the modern Malaysia gallery.
Burial jars
The Colonial Era Gallery gives visitors a glimpse of Malaysia’s 446
years of foreign rule following the fall of the Malaccan Empire in
1511. The influence of four different colonizers -- the Portuguese, the
Dutch, the British and the Japanese -- are tackled in this section. A
model of the A Famosa fortress, which is found in Malacca, as well as a
scale model of the Portuguese ship Flor De La Mar are found in this section. Also on display are various types of kris (a sword), body armor, shields, and the bunga mas, or the gold flower, which the Malay sultanates used to give to the Kingdom of Siam as a symbol of friendship.
The most politically charged gallery is the "Malaysia Today" section, which chronicles the country’s move towards independence from British rule. The unification of the Malays, Chinese and Indian locals in Malaysia against foreign rule and the leadership of Tunku Abdul Rahman, the country’s first prime minister, in attaining self-rule are the themes of this section.
Highlighted are the importance of Islam and education, as well as the role played by the press, in the move towards independence. A video presentation on Merdeka (independence) betrays the national stance that Malays are superior over their Chinese and Tamil counterparts -- in the film, an old man explains to his grandchildren that the Malaysian fight for independence was the Malays’ under Tunku Abdul Rahman, with the help of "Chinese and Indian friends."
A coffin with a decorated lid
The section also has a wall dedicated to highlighting the country’s
achievements over the past 50 years. Coming from a century-old country
that still struggles with poverty, massive brain drain and a lackluster
economy, I could only be amazed at how fast Malaysia, which is just
about half as old as the Philippines, has propelled itself to progress.
Besides the Muzium Negara, other galleries that complement its collection are housed in the compound. The Malay World Gallery, which showcases the other prehistoric coffins and the death chair of the Kalinga, also tackles wedding traditions and the different techniques used in batik making.
A house made of cengcal wood, called Istana Satu, which follows Trengganu Malay architecture, gives visitors a glimpse of the layout of old Malay houses, which is quite similar to old houses in the Philippines -- down to the banig (woven mat) and the sungka (a game) board.
Also on display at the museum grounds are different types of rick-shaws from different Malaysian states, and the first Proton car.
MUZIUM NEGARA is open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. For an entrance fee of RM2 (around P30), visitors gain access to the four galleries of the museum. The other galleries can be accessed for free.
TEXT and PHOTOS BY JENNEE GRACE U. RUBRICO
A quick introduction to Malaysia through Muzium Negara
I surveyed what must have been the fifth log coffin that I saw in the span of two hours. It was closed, and in the glass case. It really just looked like a log that was cut in half and hollowed out.A TRADITIONAL vessel
In another building at the compound, I had earlier seen similar coffins -- smaller ones that looked like wooden containers with fancy lids -- as well as a chair for dead women which, I was surprised to find out, is an invention of the folks of Kalinga in northern Philippines. The chair, made of rattan, stood in front of a poster that not only explained how the chair was used but also had an illustration of the process. (I was quite taken aback that I would come to know about this burial practice overseas, but I consoled myself with the fact that I come from the southernmost part of the country, which, of course, is no excuse for my ignorance).
Awedding banquet tableau
Muzium Negara is a must-visit for tourists who want to get a snapshot of Malaysia’s old culture and young political history
Also that morning, I had seen tomb markers made of batu Aceh, a type of gravestone which were said to have been carved by Acehnese between the 15th and 19th centuries. The tombstones, a note beside them stated, "deserve to be regarded as a prominent heritage of Malay civilization."I felt my stomach turn after spending the better part of the morning looking at death and the dead. Luckily, I hadn’t had time for breakfast that day.
My nauseous state, however, was no indication of the kind of day I was having; despite feeling that I had seen more than enough representations of death for the short term, I was enjoying my visit to Malaysia’s national museum, the Muzium Negara.
A dining room
Designed by Ho Kok Hoe, the national museum is said to be inspired by "the Malay royal palaces and vernacular Malay architecture." Probably the first thing that would grab the visitor’s attention is a mural made of Italian glass mosaic on the faéade of the building. The museum explains that the mural depicts important historical events and crafts in Malaysia.
The museum is a must-visit for tourists who want to get a snapshot of Malaysia’s old culture and young political history. It houses four galleries, the first of which showcases Malaysia’s early history, covering the Permian, prehistory and proto-history eras. In this section, the finds in prehistoric archeological sites in Malaysia are showcased, and replicas of the finds -- including Perak Man, a 10,000 year old skeleton and Malaysia’s oldest inhabitant -- are displayed. Also on display are the burial jars and other remains of death; moulds of skulls of ancient men and their ancestors, soil samples, and prehistoric tools. A highlight in this section is a cave with a transparent LCD that depicts the life of prehistoric people.
The Malaysian version of sungka
On the second floor are two more galleries: the Colonial Era gallery and the modern Malaysia gallery.
Burial jars
The most politically charged gallery is the "Malaysia Today" section, which chronicles the country’s move towards independence from British rule. The unification of the Malays, Chinese and Indian locals in Malaysia against foreign rule and the leadership of Tunku Abdul Rahman, the country’s first prime minister, in attaining self-rule are the themes of this section.
Highlighted are the importance of Islam and education, as well as the role played by the press, in the move towards independence. A video presentation on Merdeka (independence) betrays the national stance that Malays are superior over their Chinese and Tamil counterparts -- in the film, an old man explains to his grandchildren that the Malaysian fight for independence was the Malays’ under Tunku Abdul Rahman, with the help of "Chinese and Indian friends."
A coffin with a decorated lid
Besides the Muzium Negara, other galleries that complement its collection are housed in the compound. The Malay World Gallery, which showcases the other prehistoric coffins and the death chair of the Kalinga, also tackles wedding traditions and the different techniques used in batik making.
A house made of cengcal wood, called Istana Satu, which follows Trengganu Malay architecture, gives visitors a glimpse of the layout of old Malay houses, which is quite similar to old houses in the Philippines -- down to the banig (woven mat) and the sungka (a game) board.
Also on display at the museum grounds are different types of rick-shaws from different Malaysian states, and the first Proton car.
MUZIUM NEGARA is open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. For an entrance fee of RM2 (around P30), visitors gain access to the four galleries of the museum. The other galleries can be accessed for free.
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