Search 11

SEARCH 11

2 May 2005 (after maghrib)

The eleventh search is to scrutinise JENDELA issue 3/2004, a bulletin of the library in USM. The bulletin had arrived in my department on 20 January 2005. I had browsed it then and asked for a photocopy but only have time for it now. It is 8.20 pm.

I am most interested in a 3-page article entitled "Koleksi Dunia Melayu Seperti Yang Dibicarakan di International Colloquium on Libraries and the Construction of Knowledge About Malay World", written by Encik Ramli Abdul Samad, a prolific writer known to many but unknown to me. He is a librarian and heads the Bahagian Malaysiana dan Arkib section in Perpustakaan USM. His e-mail is unknown.

There is a paper mentioned in this article entitled "Collectors, classifiers, and researchers of the Malay World: How individuals and institutions in Britain in the 18th, 19th and early 20th centuries collected, arranged and organized libraries, archives and museums and how that impacts on today's researchers" by Nicholas Martland, a librarian with the South East Asia and Pacific Studies, School of Oriental & African Studies (SOAS), University of London. But his paper dealt with institutions which kept historical materials of Malay history (sejarah), arts (sastera) and linguistics (bahasa).

Encik Ramli Abdul Samad explained that the term Dunia Melayu refers to a geographical region encompassing Malaysia, Pattani, Indonesia, Singapore, Philippines, Brunei, Timur Leste, and the island of New Guinea.

Another paper by Rohayati Paseng Barnard, a librarian with the University of Hawaii at I' Manoa mentioned about the University of California, Riverside (UCR) opening a collection called Tenggara Asia. I am most wishful that the Tenggara Asia collection will materialise in UCR as I was a graduate of UCR in 1982 and this could be a good start for me.

Encik Ramli's paper mentioned that very little religious manuscripts by the Malays were collected or catalogued.

Another paper "Searching for the Malay World at The Library of Congress" by Katheryn Anderson, a librarian with the Library of Congress, Washington DC mentioned that it contained a large Asian collection on all subject areas except agriculture and medicine.

According to Encik Ramli's article, the Australian National University (ANU) holds the largest Asia and Pacific collection to support its teaching and research on Asian Studies. Among the ANU collection of Dunia Melayu includes Siri Sejarah Sastera Melayu or Sulalat'us-Salatin, Penang Gazette and Straits Chronicle 1879-1900. Encik Ramli mentioned Anna Reid, an officer for the access of information on Asia Tenggara in ANU. Anna Reid quoted UKM Dr Shamsul gave a forum on "Dunia Melayu" in 2003 at ANU. See Search 13 re Professor Datuk Dr. Shamsul Amri Baharuddin, UKM.

Encik Ramli further quoted a paper which mentioned that the National Library of Indonesia contained local and foreign newspapers from the 17th century, ancient maps from the 12th century, and a collection of manuscripts.

Encik Ramli highlighted a complex issue governing the meanings of two terms, Kajian Melayu or Kajian Dunia Melayu or Malay Studies or Studies of the Malay World, and Dunia Melayu or the Malay World. Kajian Dunia Melayu would take into consideration ethnicity for analytical purposes, while Kajian Melayu would take into consideration the geographical boundaries and linguistics.

Encik Ramli Abdul Samad

Bahagian Malaysiana dan Arkib

Perpustakaan Hamzah Sendut

Universiti Sains Malaysia Kampus Sejahtera (main campus)

1800 USM Pulau Pinang

Malaysia

Tel: 604 - 657 - 7888 ext. 3721

E-mail: ramli.as@notes.usm.my

Website: www.lib.usm.my/liblist2.htm

It is now 9.31 pm.

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Acknowledgement

JENDELA issue 3/2004: pages 3-5

A bulletin of Perpustakaan USM (now re-named Perpustakaan Hamzah Sendut on 10 December 2004).

Encik Ramli Abdul Samad

A prolific writer and librarian. Head of Bahagian Malaysiana dan Arkib, Perpustakaan USM. His e-mail is unknown. He wrote "Koleksi Dunia Melayu Seperti Yang Dibicarakan di International Colloquium on Libraries and the Construction of Knowledge About Malay World" in JENDELA issue 3/2004: pages 3-5. He gave the meanings of Dunia Melayu.

Encik Ramli Abdul Samad

Bahagian Malaysiana dan Arkib

Perpustakaan Hamzah Sendut

Universiti Sains Malaysia Kampus Sejahtera (main campus)

1800 USM Pulau Pinang

Malaysia

Tel: 604 - 657 - 7888 ext. 3721

E-mail: ramli.as@notes.usm.my

Website: www.lib.usm.my/liblist2.htm

Dunia Melayu (The Malay World)

Dunia Melayu refers to a geographical region encompassing Malaysia, Pattani, Indonesia, Singapore, Philippines, Brunei, Timur Leste, and the island of New Guinea.

Kajian Melayu (Malay Studies)

Kajian Melayu would take into consideration the geographical boundaries and linguistics.

Kajian Dunia Melayu (Studies of the Malay World)

Kajian Dunia Melayu would take into consideration ethnicity for analytical purposes.

University of California, Riverside (UCR)

Opening a collection called Tenggara Asia (Southeast Asia).

Australian National University (ANU)

ANU collection  of Dunia Melayu includes Siri Sejarah Sastera Melayu or Sulalat'us-Salatin, Penang Gazette and Straits Chronicle 1879-1900. UKM Dr Shamsul gave a forum on "Dunia Melayu" in 2003 at ANU. See Search 13 re Professor Datuk Dr. Shamsul Amri Baharuddin, UKM.

Professor Datuk Dr. Shamsul Amri Baharuddin

Director, Institute of the Malay World and Civilisation (ATMA), UKM.

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