Social Science Research June 2022

Honoring Local History

BN Lee
Faculty of Psychology and Education
University of Malaysia Sabah

Abstract
This paper discusses efforts to dignify local history that requires a clear education
policy so that it can be appreciated by future generations. Recognition for more
historians and archeologists is also very important in the conservation of the nation's
historical and cultural heritage in this country so that it continues to be
strengthened. This means that the country should increase scholarships and training
to attract students' interest in the field, when expertise increases in these two fields,
then the pattern of education through history will increase. Neglecting the subject of
history and archeology is very dangerous for future generations if the teaching of
history is mixed with prejudice.

Keywords: Dignity, History, Heritage

Introduction
An example of Negeri Sembilan, the understanding of Perpatih customs and
traditions are very important to be explained in education. The wisdom, the beauty
of traditional life in the Perpatih Traditional State should be nurtured again with the
role played by the Yang Dipertuan Besar, the Traditional Chiefs and the state
government. If custom is not strengthened from now on, in a decade the community
will not know what custom is and they will begin to question the position of custom
(Bernama, 2022).

The Importance of History Subjects

In the context of nation-state building, the importance of history as the main
mechanism has been voiced for a long time by various parties. Wang Gung Wu, for
example, raised the dignity of history from the point of view of the importance of
remembering the past, especially in shaping the personality of a group, tribe or
community. According to Sartono Kartodirdjo, history education acts as a didactic
tool, especially as a pillar of national education. In this regard, knowledge of history,
especially national history, will enable a nation, especially the young generation, to
be more concerned about the nation and the development of its country. By being
concerned about history indirectly allows a person to fulfill his responsibilities as a
citizen. With its nature as a tool for understanding the past as well as its function as
a guideline, teaching and guidance allows history to be given a special place in the
education system of a country.

In Malaysia, it is also not a new problem in this country. Since independence until
now, the issue of history and its role in the construction of the nation state continues
to be debated and crowned as the main agenda of the country. Just to quote a few
views, this issue has clearly become the main agenda of the country especially since
the events of May 13, 1969. The former Minister of Home Affairs of Malaysia in 1980,
Tan Sri Muhammad Ghazali Shafie in the opening speech of the International
Association of Historians of Asia (IAHA) conference in 1980 expressed the
importance. According to him :
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"Every person, society or nation has a past which has molded his or its present
stature and together the past and the present mold his future. But the choice of his
future image depends on his present beliefs of his history, of what he reckons he is
and what he believes others believe of him". (Ghazali Shafie, 1980 : 3) in Faiz
(2013).

He is also firm: "When people have lost their confidence and faith in their history
because of oversimplistic historicism or intense subjectivism or for whatever reasons
then history becomes wearisome and its study irrelevant". (Ghazali Shafie, 1980: 18)
in Faiz (2013).

In Malaysia, the subject of history has been taught since the British administration,
but it is not a main subject in line with the British education policy which allowed the
school system to develop along race-based lines, thus creating different classes
among the people of Malaya. A slight change to history education in Malaya only
happened in 1918 following the introduction of the subject of History at the school
and college level following the end of the Second World War and the establishment
of the History Department of the University of Malaya in 1949 giving new life to
history education in Malaysia. Through it, scientific research and writing become the
main agenda that indirectly expands the horizon of study and knowledge about the
country's history. After the country achieved independence until now, the History
education that was designed focuses on the building and unification of the Malaysian
nation. This goal emphasizes the process of building a new generation of Malaysians
who are united and knowledgeable, especially through language elements and the
strength of the nation's culture. Schools, on the other hand, play an important role in
achieving these goals through the teaching and learning process.

This goal is not impossible to achieve if all Malaysians have awareness, appreciate
history, realize their position and make history education the most important tool to
achieve this goal. The Education Act 1995, for example, emphasizes the importance
of knowledge as the main determinant of the direction of the country's goals and the
savior of the nation. The same Act also affirmed the importance of the National
Education Policy which will be applied through the national education system to meet
the needs of the country as well as foster national unity in various fields through the
education sector. For a multi-racial country like Malaysia, national integration is a
very complicated issue and complicates the nation-building process. The National
Education Policy outlines the subject of history as the main tool to realize these
goals. The emphasis of history education is focused on historical awareness,
tolerance and community sensitivity to share responsibility for the future of the
country.

An important element in the teaching of history also includes the building of national
spirit. For a country like Malaysia, that spirit is very necessary to achieve the
aspirations of one country and similar dreams for Malaysians. Patriotism is a key
element in history education that aims to build awareness and strengthen the spirit
of struggle and love for the nation and country. The element aims to produce
members of society who are responsible, willing to serve and willing to sacrifice for
the sake of the country. This was once expressed by Tun Dr. Mahathir. According to
him :

"If the spirit of patriotism is no longer there among the youth, we are worried that
when the young generation grows up, they will no longer love their own nation and
 Social Science Research June 2022

country. With that it is very easy for foreigners to incite them and will conspire to
eliminate the freedom of our country" in Faiz (2013).

Project Honoring History

In order to further dignify Johor's history, culture and arts, Universiti Tun Hussein
Onn Malaysia (UTHM) through the Tunku Tun Aminah Library (PTTA) has led the
Johor Culture and Heritage Research and Innovation Project or Research and
Innovation in Culture and Heritage of Johor (RICHER). PTTA entered into a smart
collaboration with the UTHM research team after successfully obtaining four research
grants focusing on four main projects to begin with, namely the History of the Battle
at Parit Sulong and the History of Iron Ore Mining in Sri Medan, Gambus: History,
Instrumentation and Game Style in Johor, Johor Map Website and Zapin Digitization.

As a result, the Johor Warisan Gallery was successfully developed and the
Gambus@PTTA Exhibition was successfully held at UTHM with the aim of increasing
community awareness of the nation's culture. Along with the development of IR 4.0,
the RICHER Project also aims to develop a centralized digital material portal including
photos, videos, newspaper clippings and other materials related to Johor's culture
and heritage.

In addition, it also aims to digitize selected content of exhibits using animation

technology such as Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR), Mixed Reality (MR)
and Virtual Tour (Virtual Tour). This effort is taken to support the main goal of UTHM
which is towards excellence in research and innovation using the energy and
expertise of UTHM staff. Following that, a RICHER Project Inauguration Ceremony
was held on 24 August 2022 at PPTA, the main campus. The ceremony was
officiated by the Deputy Speaker of the Johor State Legislative Assembly, Datuk Haji
Samsolbari Jamali (UTHM, 2022).

Conclusion
The state's historical, artistic and cultural heritage needs to be defended to ensure
that it continues to be preserved and can be enjoyed by future generations. This
early initiative by the university is able to benefit the state of Johor. The whole
community needs to be given an understanding of the importance of this effort in
order to cultivate the spirit of love for the motherland as well as an effort to maintain
the harmony and unity of the country.

References

Named. (August 17, 2022). The dignity of history needs a clear educational policy.
Kuala Lumpur: Sinar Harian.

Faiz, Faiz Jawawi, Jay, et al. (2013). The Importance of History Subjects. Kuala
Lumpur: Titian Mengkuang.

UTHM. (2022). UTHM succeeds in the RICHER project, uplifting the history, culture
and art of Johor Batu Pahat: Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia (UTHM)
Social Science Research June 2022