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<p>ATMA is building a portal called <a href="http://www.malaycivilization.com">www.malaycivilization.com</a>
with a research grant of RM504,760.00 from the Ministry of Science, Technology
and Environment, under Demonstrator Application Grant Scheme (DAGS), through
MIMOS, NITC. This project, together with other databases – including:
<br>
(a) Individual Articles on Malay World Studies, <br>
(b) Malay Proverbs, <br>
(c) Pantun and Syair by Malaysian Chinese Baba and Nyonya, <br>
already accessible at h<a href="ttp://www.atma.ukm.my">ttp://www.atma.ukm.my</a>,
and many others still under construction – will take ATMA one step forward
in expanding the breadth and intensifying the depth of research in Malay world
studies, the premier field of research at the institute. These conscientious
efforts from ATMA towards empowering research in Malay world studies are comparable
to those undertaken by other full-fledged research institutes in KITLV (Leiden),
School of Oriental and African Studies (London), ISEAS (Singapore) and CSEAS
(Kyoto), to mention a few. This portal will also help to develop ATMA into a
world-class hub of Malay World civilization resources by offering global users
an easy and fast access to the required materials in digital form. Readers all
over the world can search, browse, download and print the selected materials,
individually or the whole collection, upon approval, through the Internet, the
state-of-the-art technology used by growing number of researchers and scholars
in accessing and exchanging information. <br>
<br>
<br>
In this project, ATMA is going to digitize 17,261 slides, photos, plans, drawings
and sketches on Malay houses, palaces and other types of buildings taken from
the early 1950s to late 1990s. While digitization will be undertaken by ATMA’s
technology partner, Paragon Automation, conforming to Z39.50 standards, physical
and content description and links of each item will be provided by the research
team at ATMA. The latter will entail efforts to find what is unique in each
of the photos, slides, drawings, and add more information to them to make them
more informative and valuable, despite the fact that each slide or drawing,
plan is self-explanatory. Each item will then be a separate entity, with description
sufficient to establish its identity, not to be confused with another item.
This is necessary as an architectural construction may be an example of an architect’s
work or it may be an example of a type of construction, identifiable in time
and place. To ensure accessibility to each item, either individually or in groups,
searchable elements will be provided, including the accession number, title,
date of creation (if available), physical and subject description, additional
notes and links (if feasible). <br>
<br>
This collection comprising mainly of non-printed materials was donated by the
late N. A. Halim on 11 February 1992 to PATMA, as part of his contribution in
preserving Malay heritage, and apart from encouraging scholars to undertake
research on various aspects and types of Malay architecture. In this project
we wish also pay tribute to the late N. A. Halim, who had indeed devoted a great
part of his lifetime in documenting houses, mosques, moats, palaces and others
throughout the Malay world in photography and slides that he enjoyed tremendously
as well as his accompanying wishes to create awareness amongst Malaysians of
the rich heritage of colorful Malay architecture, another intrinsic part of
Malay culture. Without his indefatigable effort, unflagging patience and great
time in recording and documenting the Malay cultural heritage, we would not
have the photos, slides, plans and drawings, now and forever. While remaining
in his house, this collection must have provided him great satisfaction: both
intellectually and emotionally. He treasured all these photos and slides so
much that he had painstakingly arranged, labeled and mounted them individually
for easy reference and preservation. Before his demise on 25 October 1999, he
had extracted information from some of these brilliant photos and slides and
used them as illustrations and examples in his numerous books and articles,
which also depicted his great ability in creating and re-inventing stories in
a contemporary style. Saying that, we mean that the true value of these photographs
and slides has yet to be exploited. Though he was only amateur photographer,
his photography is professional. So, it is simply a treat to witness this collection
which can be considered as the finest collection of recent photographs and slides
on Malay architecture. He even told us that he had rejected many offers from
National Geographic (Washington, D. C) to acquire the collection as he always
wanted his collection to be intact and close to him to enable him to use it
from time to time. This may also explain the immense popularity he had amassed
for his photos and slides on Malay people, society and architecture, and he
himself was indeed already a renowned local culture activist. <br>
<br>
The greatest strength of the collection lies in its diversity of the subjects
covered: houses, palaces, tombs, boats, moats, household utensils and many others.
The size, the character and the extent of the collection not only serve to underline
the great enthusiasm N. A. Halim had for local history and culture, but also
make this collection valuable and unique. From this large and rich collection,
one can get something on almost everything on Malay architecture in particular,
and Malay institution, history, culture and society in general. From point of
view of architects, engineers, building contractors, interior designers or local
historians, these photographs and slides on Malay architecture are truly valuable
for historical preservation and re-modeling of buildings. They can corroborate
or disprove both written and verbal sources, as they can illustrate many things
and tells many stories. This is one of the reasons why a photograph or slide
is worth ten thousand words. Another reason is none other than the vivid memories
it conjures up in people at the mere mention of it. <br>
<br>
Believing that this collection of indigenous materials will strengthen Malay
studies, the late N. A. Halim donated his only personal collection comprising
mostly non-printed and some printed materials to PATMA on 11 February 1992,
as mentioned earlier. With this donation, PATMA has all of a sudden had the
most important collection of raw materials on the heritage of colorful Malay
architecture. For the presentation ceremony, a catalogue, Katalog N. A. Halim,
was specially prepared. Since then, this collection has found a new home, and
now, we at ATMA are going full swing to re-organize and repackage this collection
using digitization, another state-of-the-art technology, not only to ensure
that a prized collection will be handed down in digital form before deterioration
sets in, but also to make sure that this collection will become more valuable
when fully accessible via the Internet. Again with digitization, we do not have
to worry about the fragility of the materials, their wear and tear, as well
as other more irritating problems relating to staff, space and equipment. Lastly
but not the least, through digitization, images from photos, slides, drawings
and plans can be integrated with those from printed-media to allow one-stop-shopping-and-access
for information and materials in our portal www.malaycivilization.com, which
is to ensure the greatest efficiency matches the most effective service to researchers
and scholars in ATMA. No lesser goal is worthy of our consideration. Digitizing
this collection is just another important and vigorous effort from ATMA to make
searching for information and materials on Malay world studies becoming easier,
especially in ATMA. <br>
<br>
ATMA is indebted greatly to the family of the late N. A. Halim for allowing
this collection to be digitized and made accessible electronically. With its
availability via the Internet, historians, researchers, students, architects,
media and publishers all over the world will be able to gain access to yet another
unique collection on Malay cultural heritage for the first time in history through
ATMA’s homepage. As mentioned earlier, the value of studying this collection
is not merely its splendid account of the development of Malay architecture,
historically and geographically, but also for the light it sheds on other aspects
of Malay history, anthropology, sociology, culture and society. This collection,
as the late N. A. Halim believed very strongly, will stimulate and enhance Malay
world research, hopefully with more post-graduate thesis on Malay architecture
and other related studies to be undertaken locally and in overseas universities.
We are also hopeful that there will be more books and journal articles on Malay
architecture and other related areas to be published. It is our fervent hope
that this non-print collection will be exploited fully after we have repackaged
it digitally and made them accessible on the Internet to fit into the cumulative
goals of our project <a href="http://www.malaycilization.com">www.malaycilization.com</a>:
<br>
1. To empower research on Malay cultural heritage, <br>
2. To enhance intellectual contents from Malaysia on the information highway,
<br>
3. To foster a feeling of love for indigenous cultural heritage among Malaysians.<br>
4. To promote ATMA as a full-fledged research institute on Malay world studies.<br>
<br>
<br>
Lastly, we thank Dr K. J. John, Sdr Badrul Hisham Jaafar, sdr Shukor Mahamad
from MIMOS for their assistance. We also look forward to a better working relationship
with them in the future. <br>
<br>
<a href="default_index.asp">Main Index Page</a><br>
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