PPMAM Introduction
The centre of research into Malay manuscripts was established by ATMA, UKM in 2010. It is the centre for development of knowledge on Malay manuscripts which consists of various fields. The centre undertakes research of old Malay Jawi manuscripts which are available in the world. It is known that there exists around 10,000 to 15,000 thousand manuscript titiles in Jawi located in 151 libraries, archives and museums in 28 countries around the world. Currently only 5% of the overall number has been studied and the rest has not.
VISSION
To become the preferred centre for manuscript research in the country, the region and the world.
MISSION
To explore and popularized manuscript study of the Malay world for the sake of developing a more nuanced understanding of the field which in turn will lead towards contributing to research in science and Malay technology within society.
OBJECTIVES
- To become the centre of excellence and reference in Malay manuscript study.
- To ensure Manuscript study is done intensively and continuously.
- To publicized the knowledge found within manuscripts for the sake of understanding and implementation.
- To produce scholars in manuscript study.
- To produce publications as a result of manuscript research.
- To implement a co-operative platform between researchers and local/international institutions for the sake of improving research into manuscript studies.
- To establish a knowledge platform in digital format.
- To popularize manuscript research amongst university students and lecturers.
STRATEGIES
- Act as a resource centre housing catalogs and select manuscripts which is connected to the Malay world.
- Become the centre of reference for research into Malay manuscripts.
- Act as the centre for the development of expertise on Malay manuscripts.
- Encourage the collection of data from old manuscripts for the sake of the present and future generations.
- Publish research findings and transliterations done by the centre.
- Establish collaboration and mentorship with institutes within and outside of the country for the sake of acquisitions and study of manuscripts.
- Promote and increase awareness of manuscripts as the source of knowledge about the Malay world through various means.
- Educate and guide in Malay manuscript research via short courses/ workshops, philology, training in transliterating, editing, reading and understanding manuscript texts.
- Propagate the knowledge contained therein via talks, research, workshops, publications and exhibitions.
PPMAM AREAS OF RESEARCH
The research into manuscripts of the Malay world includes but is not limited to these fields:
- Science and technology of the Malay world
- Medicine (Kitab Tibb)
- Language, Linguistic and Culture of the Malay world
- Historical literature of the Malay world
- Malay hikayat genre of writings
- Religious based genre of writings which includes philosophy, creed, law, commentaries on the Qur’an, Prophetic traditions and reports, ethics, spirituality (tasawwuf), Arabic morphology and syntax, etc.
- Art which includes architecture, martial arts, aesthetics, wood carving etc.
- Letters of the Malay Kings
- Illuminated manuscripts
- Poetry of traditional Malay
PPMAM ACTIVITIES
- A series of Talks (Wacana)
- Workshops on research
- Transliteration training
- Publication of research findings
- Field work
- Digitization and documentation of Malay manuscripts
- Development of resource centre
DR ROS MAHWATI AHMAD ZAKARIA
Head of Malay Manuscript Research Centre,
Malay Manuscript Research Centre,
4th Floor, Institut Alam dan Tamadun Melayu (ATMA)
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia 43600 Bangi, Selangor.
Tel: 03-8921 5822/ 3323/ 3645
Faks: 03-8925 4698