Gov't urged to regulate private museums to prevent 'distortions' of history

PARLIAMENT | A BN lawmaker has urged the government to monitor the artefacts and contents displayed in private museums.

Mastura Mohd Yazid (BN-Kuala Kangsar) said this in relation to activist groups, which she alleged are attempting to distort history, particularly with regard to the Communist insurgency.

"Historical facts are the truth. The Communist movement (in Malaysia) originated from China and Vietnam," she told the Dewan Rakyat today during the question-and-answer session.

"They were not (freedom) fighters. The real (freedom) fighters were the security forces who fought the Communists.

"Recently, there was a group of activists who worked hard to change these historical facts."

Mastura suggested that Putrajaya establish a task force, comprising apolitical experts and leaders, to ensure that the artefacts contained in these private museums do not stray from these facts.

In reply, Deputy Tourism and Culture Minister Muhammad Bakhtiar Wan Chik (above) said his ministry was mulling an amendment to the Ninth Schedule of the Federal Constitution to regulate such museums.

"At the moment, the Ninth Schedule only states that the maintenance of heritage falls under the responsibility of the federal government and state governments," he said.

"A museum or gallery does not need to obtain verification and be registered with the Museums Department, as the matter falls under the jurisdiction of state governments.

"So, the federal government has no enforcement power over the artefacts and contents of a museum, and there is no legal provision to control private museums."

Bakhtiar added that the legislative amendment is being studied, and that regulation may be possible by year-end.

As the deputy minister noted, there are 210 museums and galleries in the country as of Feb 28.

Of this figure, 13 are private museums, 22 are run by the federal government, and 111 are run by state governments or local authorities, with the rest being galleries. -Mkini