Muzium Negara of Malaysia: Museum and multiculturalism in the context of plural society and transnational labour mobility in ASEAN

Abstract

This article examines how the permanent exhibitions of the Malaysian National Museum represent the plural society of the country. The article frames its analysis in the context of Malaysia as a plural society and as a popular destination of transnational labor mobility. The analytical framework of the article is informed by scholarly debates in museum studies, scholarship on representation and multicultural studies. Data derive from documentary research and field work conducted the Malaysian National Museum. The discussion is enhanced by comparative observations on museum initiatives in the European Union and the UK. The study shows that the museum glorifies bygone Malay kingdoms as a cultural foundation of modern Malaysia, which serves to legitimize the privileges of ethnic Malays as the indigenous people of Malaysia. It also showcases inter-ethnic marriages between Malay and Chinese as a representation of Malaysia’s plural society and unity. In representing the Malaysian nation as it exists today, the exhibition portrays the coexistence of Malays, Chinese, Indian and European-Malays at the center of the nation. Other ethnic groups who are also Malaysian citizens are represented only through cultural makers such as costume, tradition, and food. As a result, their contributions to the nation appear to be superficial. The article therefore suggests that museums must play a more constructive role in promoting sustainable multiculturalism and multicultural governance in Malaysia, as well as ASEAN member states in general.