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TERENGGANU QURAN MANUSCRIPTS DECLARED AS HERITAGE UNDER NATIONAL HERITAGE ACT

TERENGGANU QURAN MANUSCRIPTS DECLARED AS HERITAGE UNDER NATIONAL HERITAGE ACT

Sunday, 11/12/2021

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KUALA NERUS, 10 December– Her Royal Highness Sultanah Nur Zahirah today consented to complete the declaration of Terengganu Quran manuscripts during a Royal High Tea Ceremony in conjunction with UMT’s 20th Convocation Ceremony.

Four Terengganu Quran manuscripts kept at the State Museum have been gazetted as heritage under the National Heritage Act 2005 (Act 645).

His Royal Highness the Sultan and Her Royal Highness also visited the Purity and Beauty of Royal Terengganu Quran Manuscript Exhibition. At the event, the Qurans’ uniqueness in terms of diaspora, calligraphy, motif, materials, and the bindings were highlighted.

According to UMT Vice Chancellor Professor Dato’ Dr. Mazlan Abd Ghaffar, the effort to have the manuscripts gazetted had been initiated since 2020 by a team of UMT researchers led by Dr. Riswadi Azmi, Director of Sultan Mahmud Islamic Centre.

He added that information about Royal Terengganu Quran manuscripts needs to be disseminated to the public. In addition, the gazetting of the manuscripts as heritage should enable conservation efforts to be carried out by relevant parties to ensure the manuscripts will be well-maintained.

From the studies conducted, UMT researchers have discovered that there 45 manuscripts within the country and abroad. The number is remarkable, as it took a great deal of time, energy, and cost to produce a handwritten manuscript in the 19th century. This proved that the state of Terengganu was once a renowned hub in the Southeast Asia for copying Quran manuscripts.

UMT, in collaboration with the state museum, has implemented various initiatives to ensure that the heritage is always appreciated and preserved. UMT’s proposal that will help the manuscripts gain recognition at the global level has been listed by the National Heritage Department as the one to be submitted to UNESCO World Reminder register. All sorts of efforts will be made to ensure that the nomination is accepted by UNESCO.

In addition, as part of its Terengganu Quran manuscript conservation effort, UMT is collaborating with researchers from various local and international agencies, with one being Dato Dr. Annabel Teh Gallop, Head Curator of Southeast Asia Section at the British Library.

Professor Mazlan added that the conservation effort is also being supported by Ericsson (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, which has been responsible for the development of UMT Cultural Heritage Digital Gallery that houses six Terengganu Quran manuscripts that have been digitalized using Augmented Reality technology.

 “The existence of the gallery will enable researchers and students to study the uniqueness of Gold Quran manuscript, a Terengganu Sultanate heritage that has been acknowledged as the most beautiful in Southeast Asia. The initiative has elevated the Quran manuscripts to an international level.”

Also present at the ceremony were Dato’ Seri Dr. Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar, Terengganu Menteri Besar; Dato’ Haji Yahaya Ali, Speaker of the State Legislative Assembly; Tengku Seri Bijaya Raja, State Secretary; members of UMT Board of Directors; Vice Chancellors; and representatives from other public universities.

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Corporate Communications Office
Universiti Malaysia Terengganu