24-07-2025
- Politics
- New Straits Times
Kedah backs new Museum Bill to boost heritage governance
ALOR STAR: The Kedah state government has expressed its full support for the National Unity Ministry's initiative to strengthen the country's museum institutions through the proposed Malaysia Museum Bill (RUUMM).
Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor described the bill as a crucial step towards the professional and ethical governance of museums nationwide, in line with international standards.
"We fully support the National Unity Ministry's efforts through the Malaysia Museum Bill. It is a step forward in elevating museum management and strengthening institutional capacity," he said at the launch of the National-level International Museum Day Festival 2025, held at the Padi Museum today.
The event was officiated by the Sultan of Kedah, Al Aminul Karim Sultan Sallehuddin Sultan Badlishah, and attended by the Raja Muda of Kedah, Tengku Sarafudin Badlishah Sultan Sallehuddin.
The bill, which is expected to be tabled in Parliament by November, aims to establish a clear legal framework to ensure the effective and sustainable management of museums nationwide.
National Unity Minister Datuk Aaron Ago Dagang said that while the National Heritage Act 2005 (Act 645) governed matters related to heritage sites, monuments, and tangible and intangible heritage, it did not adequately cover museum policy and governance.
Commenting on the festival, Sanusi said he was honoured that the Padi Museum — a landmark symbolising Kedah's identity as the nation's rice bowl — was chosen as the venue for the event, which drew over 1,000 museum professionals from across Malaysia, as well as from Singapore and Indonesia.
He reaffirmed the state's commitment to preserving Malaysia's historical legacy in partnership with the federal government, highlighting the 889-year-old Kedah Sultanate as one of the oldest surviving royal institutions in the world.
Sanusi also pledged continued support for the Kedah State Museum as a centre for historical and archaeological research, youth education, and cultural identity.
