Guest guest Posted February 13, 2004 Report Share Posted February 13, 2004 This message was forwarded to you by yitzeling. Comment from sender: This article is from The Star Online URL: http://thestar.com.my/lifestyle/story.asp?file=/2004/2/10/features/7256004 & sec=f\ eatures ________________________ Tuesday February 10, 2004 Museum of natural history By MICHAEL CHEANG MALAYSIA is touted as one of the 12 mega-diversity centres in the world, yet we do not have a museum of national history. A visit to the Natural History Gallery in the National Museum revealed a sorry-looking display of stuffed animals and fake fruits that are hardly reflective of our rich natural heritage. Natural history refers to the study and description of organisms and natural objects, especially their origins, evolution, and inter-relationships as well as a collection of facts about the development of a natural process or entity. A natural history museum therefore, would be one that exhibits and educates the public about the history and diversity of Malaysia & #8217;s natural heritage. How important is it that we have a natural history museum? According to Professor Dr Wong Khoon Meng of Universiti Malaya & #8217;s Institute of Biological Sciences, a natural history museum is an important milestone in a modern, civilised society. “It embodies the importance that we give to nature as a fundamental area of knowledge,” he says. Datuk Dr Abdul Latiff Mohamad, dean of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia & #8217;s Faculty of Science and Technology, says that having a natural history museum will show the world that Malaysia is a civilised nation that understands and appreciates its natural heritage. He envisages a Malaysian natural history museum where past geological histories are documented, the formation and origin of our lands are mapped and animated, and where the past and present faunal and floral histories would be displayed and researched. “It would also display how past communities made use of nature, how they mastered it and evolved to being the civilised and modern humans we are now. It is so important for us to know our roots!” he says. Prof Wong agrees, adding that the contents of a Malaysian natural history museum should adequately reflect the fundamentals of Malaysian nature. “Malaysia is a tropical country that has immense biological wealth nestled in the many ecosystems that can be found, including many types of rain forests and aquatic systems, such as coral reefs,” explains Prof Wong. “All these have unique features & #8211; whether physical, structural, distributional or biological & #8211; as well as important ecological roles, intricate life processes and ecological interactions which demonstrate the richness of life. Having the museum would be an important way of introducing these aspects of nature to the average Malaysian.” So what would a natural history museum accomplish? Most of all, according to Prof Wong, natural history museums are centres of informal and formal public education, research and expertise on areas of our natural heritage. “They are not just showrooms of exhibits on nature for tourists, but are also centres that strive to understand, document and present the key aspects of natural living systems and organisms,” says Prof Wong. “Their core business is research and education, achieved via the museum exhibits and programmes, collaborative work and specialised and general writings.” Latiff says the museum would be able to educate the public about nature through its displays, conducting extensive research in nature, and housing a rich biodiversity of all forms of life, including microbes, algae, plants, insects, reptiles and mammals. Besides that, there should also be sections devoted to all forms of rocks and minerals that form the land mass and all forms of new discoveries in natural sciences. As for the current national history gallery in the National Museum, Latiff thinks it is inadequate. “They display most things except nature and biodiversity. There are no holdings of geological diversity, floral diversity and animal diversity,” he says. Nevertheless, Prof Wong thinks that the gallery still plays an important role even if a natural history museum is formed. “The National Museum focuses mainly on Malaysia & #8217;s history and cultures, and we are glad that it also includes a natural history section as an introduction to that vast area that is represented by forest and marine ecosystems,” says Prof Wong. “That section should never be done away with because it is a useful section for an all-round, quick introduction to what Malaysia has. It should remain a satellite for natural history the way it is right now, and it might even be further improved. He is also against the idea of doing away with the gallery at the National Museum if a natural history museum is formed. <p> ________________________ Your one-stop information portal: The Star Online http://thestar.com.my http://biz.thestar.com.my http://classifieds.thestar.com.my http://cards.thestar.com.my http://search.thestar.com.my http://star-motoring.com http://star-space.com http://star-jobs.com http://star-ecentral.com http://star-techcentral.com 1995-2003 Star Publications (Malaysia) Bhd. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission of Star Publications is prohibited. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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