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| From MALACCA HIGH & MAHSOPA PHOTOS |
Come October 2008, be sure to view a fascinating exhibition on Malaysia’s first Prime Minister, Al Marhum Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj at Gallery 2, Department of Museums Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur.
YB Datuk Seri Hj. Mohd Shafie bin Hj Apdal, Minister of Unity, Culture, Arts and Heritage will officiate the opening on Tuesday, 7 October 2008 at 4.00pm.
This exhibition is organized by the Department of Museums Malaysia in collaboration with Canvas Art Sdn Bhd. On display are 222 pictures of the Tunku, including many from private collections. These rare pictures cover the period when he was a young schoolboy to a retired but active former Prime Minister.
A team of experts in Canvas Art painstakingly restored all the images. They took more than eight years to source the old photographs from private individuals and government institutions. Some have never been viewed in public before. The images have been carefully restored and reproduced on artist canvas or fine art paper of international archive standard and quality, with captions in Bahasa Malaysia and English.
The Tunku was like a father to all Malaysians. He knew our hearts and minds. Although his struggle to gain independence was not without sacrifice, he was able to free his beloved country from the yoke of colonialism without shedding a single drop of blood. This is the freedom we now cherish.
This pictorial presentation offers a glimpse of the Tunku’s long and historic journey along the path to Merdeka and beyond. It is important for the younger generation to appreciate the nation’s struggle for independence and the critical role played by great leaders who strived tirelessly to unite our multiracial society. It is only through harmony among the races that we can form a truly united and prosperous Malaysian nation.
In 1957, the Tunku said “Our great aim must be to make Malaya a haven of peace, harmony and happiness. We must strive for this with all our strength. We must be brave, we must be fair and we must be just, so that, come what may, we shall be ready as a united Malayan people to meet it.”
“ It is my daily prayer that all the different races in the country will continue to live together in friendship … Independence could never have been achieved without the unity of the various races” he said on his 80th birthday in 1983.
We hope Malaysians everywhere will have the opportunity to view this exclusive collection of photographs of the Tunku and his priceless legacy. Robert Lim Fung Wang Managing Director Canvas Art Sdn Bhd
NOTE - Reception is from 4pm to 6pm at Gallery 2 of the Department of Museums Malaysia, 7th October 2008. - Invitation list includes family and friends of Tunku, retired Ambassadors, Ambassadors of SEA countries and the United Kingdom.
