ALOR SETAR: Further research on the correspondence collection of the 26th Sultan of Kedah, Sultan Abdul Hamid Halim Shah Sultan Ahmad Tajuddin Mukarram Shah, can have a highly beneficial impact on society and the nation, said Minister of National Unity, Datuk Aaron Ago Dagang.
He said that this research could inspire and motivate today’s society to emulate the Sultan’s governance in managing the state of Kedah.
He noted that Sultan Abdul Hamid’s leadership could be applied in governance and administration, whether at the departmental or federal level.
“This collection contains important information and provides a clear picture of Kedah’s history during the transition of power between Siam (now Thailand) and the entry of the British into the state’s administration.
“The letters in this collection include correspondence from Sultan Abdul Hamid and state officials to the Siamese government, English officials, including the British Residents in Penang, Perak, Selangor, and the Governors of the Straits Settlements,” he said.
He said this when officiating the World Heritage Recognition Seminar: Sultan Abdul Hamid’s Correspondence Collection (1882-1943), organised by the National Archives of Malaysia (ANM), here today.
Aaron Ago said that the Sultan Abdul Hamid Correspondence Collection is an important collection in Malaysia that has received world recognition and was designated as a world heritage in the “Memory of the World Register” in September 2001 by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO).
According to him, the selection of Sultan Abdul Hamid’s Correspondence Collection as world heritage was influenced by its uniqueness as the only Malay manuscript correspondence collection that is so valuable and well-organised compared to other historical manuscript collections from the Malay Archipelago.
Meanwhile, ANM Director-General Datuk Jaafar Sidek Abdul Rahman said in his speech at the event that the Sultan Abdul Hamid Correspondence Collection (1882-1943), consisting of 2,951 documents, is part of the collection from the Sultan’s reign, which began on June 21, 1882.
He noted that Sultan Abdul Hamid ruled Kedah until 1943, a period of 61 years, and successfully maintained the sovereignty of Kedah against Siam and British powers through diplomatic approaches, adapting to the circumstances at the time.
“This seminar aims to highlight our invaluable heritage so that it remains enduring… seminars like this are not new for the National Archives of Malaysia, as we have been consistently organising such programmes since the 1970s, using various concepts and formats,” he said.
— BERNAMA
