Conservation of archival heritage in Malaysia: current practices and approaches for the future

Abstract

The National Archives of Malaysia was established in 1 957, and with 37 years of service behind her, is dedicated to the preservation of the collective memory of the nation. A nation cannot survive without the development or reconstitution of its collective memory. The development or reconstitution of its collective memory is achieved through an inherently growing body of archival records of all nature s and on all types of support or media. In the same note, a government cannot function effectively without a repository for the records created by its manifold activities. This living memory lends coherence to the past and present, and provides a basis from which to view the future. Archives provides continuity to the memory of the people.