The importance of proper record keeping

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This is where knowledge is stored.

FROM Aug 12-14 of this year, the ‘Forum and Workshop For Sarawak’s Records’ was held in Kuching.

I was there as a participant, courtesy of the State Library and the ICT Unit  of the Chief Minister’s Office. As a septuagenarian, the organisers wrongly thought I was ripe material for the repository. Not yet.

We were tasked with the job of producing a blueprint of Sarawak’s Records. The importance of proper record keeping of documents was stressed and so was the need for a properly-housed archive in Sarawak.

All documents in existence for at least 25 years and containing important information on the administration of government departments and agencies must not be destroyed; they must be protected and preserved for posterity in print or in any other permanent form. The information, except for state secrets which the release of is likely to endanger public or economic security, should be made accessible to those who genuinely require facts and figures for their fields of study. These are normally the students and scholars. And history buffs like me.

These documents should be handed over to the archives: to the National Archives, Sarawak Branch, in the case of documents relating to the federal departments and agencies; to the State Archive under the State Library in the case of state’s documents. State secrets are out of bounds to the general public. Period.

A store of information

Many private individuals or entities having in their possession valuable documents including photographs are not aware of the services of the State Archive. The archive accepts those, said the boss of the archive, Arpah Adenan, and their copyrights are in tact.

At the beginning of the meeting, the chairman of the Board of Management of the State Library, Tan Sri Hamid Bugo, revealed his dream of a new building constructed underground to house the State Archive. If his dream comes true, and it will come true if the government realises the importance of archives to society, we shall see all Sarawak’s records – government’s and private individuals’ documents – properly managed for posterity. The project may be expensive to build now but as Dr David Jones, one of the speakers rightly asked, “What if we do nothing now?” There may be savings in terms of money in the long-term. I agree. Hopefully, the blueprint will be approved eventually.

Security of the archive

Haven’t we heard about the destruction of the great library at Alexandra in Egypt? Or of the importance of keeping private archives during the T’ang Dynasty (AD 618-906)? Or nearer home, of the destruction of James Brooke’s library housed at the Astana by fire set on by Liu Shan Bang’s men on the night of Feb 18, 1857, during the Montrado Chinese Insurrection of the same year?

Sarawak has irretrievably lost a heritage. Never repeat the mistake. You don’t lose anything to support the proper records management of our national assets – the libraries and archives.

Can we ever forget how Malaysia lost the island of Pedra Branca to Singapore in the International Court of Justice (ICJ)? Just because of the discovery of a letter dated 1953 from the Government of Johor disclaiming ownership of the island when in fact the island belonged to Johor by virtue of a series of agreements in 1819, 1824, and 1927. But that letter from Johor was fatal to Malaysia’s case. Sad, poor record keeping on our part?

Where is the State Archive?

It was amazing that many among the participants did not know where the State Archive would be. One answer was: It is tucked away along the road to the Damai Cultural Village, near the new building of the Yayasan Sarawak. But where is the Yayasan Sarawak building? Near the archive bah. In the same area along that road to Damai. After the forum, we all know now where to find it and how to donate books or documents to the archive and how it renders its services to the public.

I suggest that the archive or the library personnel initiate the formation of a volunteer group called Friends of the Archive (FOA) to help them publicise the services of the archive. Tourists may like to visit the archive and the volunteers will show the tourists around. Tourists, foreign and local, normally go to the Sarawak Museum because that museum is within walking distance of their hotels.

Under one wing – a suggestion

Won’t it be better if all the cleared government documents were housed under one roof or under the wing of the State Library? There they are easily accessible by the general public and are more secure. All 25-year-old documents are being kept at the venerable Sarawak Museum as required by law but that legal constraints can be overcome if the overriding importance of proper record management is recognised and appreciated by all parties.

Migrated documents

Migrated documents are those kept by individuals or entities here or overseas. Those kept by the owners overseas are not easy to get but if there is a trust between the owners and the local archivists, an arrangement may be made to repatriate them for mutual benefit.

The obvious sources of documents on Sarawak may be certain members of the Sarawak Association and the Rhodes House Library in London, not forgetting the Brooke Heritage Foundation. Other sources are the Library of Congress in America and the Leiden Archive in the Netherlands. Government should arrange visits for the library and archive staff to visit those institutions with the view of working out a smart partnership.

Importance of archives The Malays have a saying – “Tuntutlah ilmu sehingga ke negeri China” (Seek ye knowledge to the farthest end of the globe – acquire the best education possible). Not the distance to China as such but, but in this context, China is right here – a place where knowledge is stored – the library and the archive. Use them to advantage.

Comments can reach the writer via [email protected].