Abu Talib Ahmad explores museums, history and culture in Malaysia

Source: NUS Press website.
ISBN: 978-9971-69-819-5

In the half century following Malaysian independence in 1957, Malaysia's National Museum shifted from mounted butterflies, stuffed animals and accounts of the colonial experience to presenting an overarching national narrative. 

The narrative is often disputed, with many of the country's other museums offering alternative treatments of topics such as Malaysia's pre-Islamic past, the history and heritage of the Melaka sultanate, and cultural differences between states.

In Museums, History and Culture in Malaysia, published by NUS Press, Abu Talib Ahmad, Professor of Southeast Asian History at the School of Humanities, Universiti Sains Malaysia, offers insights into differing versions of the country's character and historical experience, and of efforts to reconcile sometimes disparate accounts. 

The author's thoughts combine textual analyses of museum publications and interviews with both serving and retired museum officers to evaluate the changing approaches to exhibits. In addition to the National Museum, he considers museums and memorials in Penang, Kedah, Perak, Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, Sabah, Kelantan and Trengganu, as well as memorials dedicated to national heroes. 

The paperback, published 2014, is 344 pages long and costs US$30, S$34, or RM48. Order the book here.