Unisza - Malaysia's first reference university in digital manuscripts

KUALA NERUS, July 14  (Bernama) -- Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin (UniSZA) is the first university in the country to collaborate with the National Archives of Malaysia to do research and share expertise in digitalising old manuscripts.

UniSZA vice-chancellor Datuk Dr Hassan Basri Awang Mat Dahan said for a start, the university would  digitalise 35,000 copies of old manuscripts on the Malay Sultanate and Islam during the pre-Independence era.

The university is expected to receive the manuscripts, which  were bought from the University of Durham, United Kingdom , at the end of the month, he said.

He said an online manuscript research centre, which will be the biggest in Southeast Asia, would be set up to serve as a reference centre for the study of  Islamic manuscripts.

"After  we have produced the manuscripts in digital form, it will be more accessible for the public to look for information and this will indirectly alleviate the status of the academicians and researchers in manuscript and information technology at UniSZA globally,” he added.

He told this to reporters after the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between UniSZA and the National Archives here today.

Under the MoU, the university's Research Institute of Muslim Malay Product and Civilisation will digitalise the old manuscripts using modern technology and equipment, hence making the university the only digital database catalog of official documents on the history of the Malay World, the Malay Sultanate and Islam in Malaysia and the Malay Archipelago.

Meanwhile, National Archives director-general Datuk Azemi Abdul Aziz said most of the old manuscripts with the National Archives were in the old jawi writing where not many people could read them.

"This MoU will give UniSZA researchers the opportunity to help disseminate knowledge related to the manuscript so that future generations can benefit from it.

"We also welcome cooperation with other universities like UniSZA who want to re-upgrade this old manuscript with its dynamite method to be accessible more easily without time limit anywhere," he said and welcomed other universities for collaboration with the National Archives in the matter.

-- BERNAMA