7 days ago
Malaysians help enrich national archives, from temple records to sambal secrets
Azmi with replicas of the nine traditional sambal recognised as national heritage by the National Heritage Department. PSWAD features these replicas as part of its 'Taste of Malaysia' gallery. — MUHAMAD SHAHRIL ROSLI/The Star
IMAGINE trying to trace the roots of a major religion in Malaysia, only to find the historical records severely limited.
This was the frustrating reality faced by Loka Ng Sai Kai, president of the Selangor Buddhist Development Council (SBDC), both as a student working on his thesis 30 years ago and again in 2019 for personal research.
The scarce information on Buddhism's development in Malaysia led him to urge Buddhist organisations to donate their printed materials and photos to the National Archives of Malaysia (ANM) through its Community Archives programme.
'This would be our way of contributing towards nation-building and supporting ANM's efforts in keeping records of the nation's history and heritage,' said Ng.
'After all, who better to contribute materials on the development and history of Buddhism in Malaysia than the Buddhist societies themselves? We have plenty of photos as well as printed and audiovisual materials that can be kept in ANM's archives.'
In October 2024, SBDC organised a visit to the ANM headquarters to better understand the agency's roles and responsibilities.
They discussed strategies to encourage Buddhist individuals and organisations to donate historically valuable documents to ANM for conservation and future reference.
Ng then coordinated a briefing in December to explain the process and requirements for donating materials to the agency.
'Representatives of some 20 Selangor Buddhist organisations attended this briefing to seek clarifications on what constituted items of historical value,' he said.
'We later presented several items to ANM as an initial contribution. Our next round will include a photo of former Selangor mentri besar, the late Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim visiting the Subang Jaya Buddhist Association premises during Wesak Day.'
Ng, who travels around Malaysia to deliver lectures and conduct research related to Buddhism, hopes to get Buddhist communities in Sabah and Sarawak to contribute to the Community Archives programme.
Another organisation committed to preserving Malaysia's history, this time in the culinary field, is Persatuan Seni Warisan Artistik Digital Malaysia (PSWAD).
The group collaborated with the National Heritage Department (JWN) to submit a list of nine traditional sambal officially recognised as national heritage.
These chilli pastes, some of which are difficult to find or recreate today, were declared intangible cultural heritage by JWN between 2009 and 2018.
'The list includes recipes, photos, and their origin states,' said PSWAD chairman Azmi Jaffri.
'Some sambal are not commonly available due to the scarcity of ingredients or the complexity of making them.
'By submitting these documents, we ensure the recipes are archived for future generations to learn about these local condiments.'
A copy of the list, featuring sambal found in states such as Pahang, Negri Sembilan, Johor and Selangor, was submitted through ANM's Community Archives programme in Klang in May.
It included commonly found ones such as sambal belacan and sambal tumis, to rare ones such as sambal getah and sambal rong, both of which Azmi said are made from rubber seed kernels.
'The recipes were acquired from village folk and local communities. The national heritage recognition will allow local entrepreneurs to market sambal as heritage products.
'PSWAD also commissioned a set of silicone-based replicas of the nine sambal variety so people can get a better idea of what they look like,' said Azmi, adding that the set cost RM15,000 and took three weeks to make.
He revealed that PSWAD was in the midst of creating an interactive 'Taste of Malaysia' pop-up gallery to offer visitors an authentic, hands-on experience of Malaysian food and culture.
'The gallery will have three components: food display using silicone replicas, mini market selling a selection of sambal and crafts made by local entrepreneurs as well as a cafe,' said Azmi. — By JADE CHAN
