‘KITAB TIB’ NOMINATED FOR UNESCO'S MEMORY OF THE WORLD PROGRAM - AARON

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 24 (Bernama) -- A collection of Malay medical manuscripts called 'Kitab Tib' - from the National Centre for Malay Manuscripts, National Library of Malaysia (PNM) has been nominated in UNESCO's Memory of the World Program last year.

National Unity Minister Datuk Aaron Ago Dagang said the nomination involved a series of manuscripts (MSS 1292) covering traditional Malay medical methods.

He said the outcome of the nomination will be announced next year.

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"Hopefully this nomination will bear fruit and the Malay manuscripts of 'Kitab Tib' will be honoured as world heritage, let's all pray," he said in his speech at the opening of the 2024 International Conference and Exhibition of Malay Manuscripts (PAMM) here today.

The Secretary General of the Ministry of National Unity, Datuk Seri Hasnol Zam Zam Ahmad, read the text speech.

Aaron said 'Kitab Tib,' or the Book of Medicine, is an important cultural heritage that reflects the greatness of knowledge and the Malay medical tradition that has been passed down from generation to generation.

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"Most of the 'Kitab Tib' medicine books found today were written around the 19th and 20th centuries AD. The writing of Malay Tib knowledge is not only in a specific form but exists in various genres such as narrative literature and political science such as the Malay Annals and Hukum Kanun Melaka.

"Kitab Tib' is not only found in Malaysia, but copies of this traditional medical knowledge can also be found in other countries such as in Leiden, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, France, Indonesia, Sri Lanka and several other European countries," he said.

Aaron said in 2012, the National Heritage Department registered two books from PNM's collection as intangible national heritage under the language and literary heritage category.

In addition, he said the PNM is also actively conducting research and transliteration, which is the process of transferring Jawi characters to Roman script. It is also involved in the Comprehensive Documentation Project of Traditional Malay Knowledge related to Medicinal Plants in the Peninsula, a project initiated by the Forestry Research Institute of Malaysia (FRIM) in 2013.

He said as many as four 'Kitab Tib' medicine books in the PNM collection had been transliterated and published, while another book in the PNM collection will be transliterated this year.

"Today, we will witness PNM taking the initiative by providing an online publication of Annotated Bibliography of 'Kitab Tib' containing 112 descriptions of  'Kitab Tib' in the PNM collection as well as other information that can be used as a reference source for study and research purposes," he said.

In the meantime, Aaron said PNM plays an important role in the governance, preservation, and conservation of Malay manuscripts and it is also the largest repository of Malay manuscripts in the region, with a total collection of 5,252 titles.

He said the Ministry of National Unity, through PNM, implemented various program initiatives, including smart agreement initiatives with various parties, to dignify and preserve Malay manuscripts. These included the Malay Manuscript Tracking Project at home and abroad and the Digitisation of the National Heritage Collection.

"It is my hope that this conference becomes a prestigious knowledge sharing vehicle and can increase the community's knowledge and appreciation of Malay manuscripts, treasures of the country's intellectual heritage of high knowledge value," he said.

The 7th International Conference on Malay Manuscripts, with the theme Kitab Tib: 1,001 Secrets of Traditional Medical Knowledge, organised by PNM, will last two days until tomorrow.

 -- BERNAMA