Cassette tapes, VHS among historical materials collected by National Archives

The National Archives of Malaysia (Arkib) has successfully gathered thousands of historical records from the community through its ongoing initiatives. These collected materials span various formats, including old photographs, documents, and even vintage audio and video formats like cassette tapes and VHS recordings from the 1990s.

Datuk Aaron Ago Dagang, the Minister of National Unity, highlighted that these collections are contributions from the public and individuals participating in community programs. He noted that activities from villages and schools often hold significant historical value and are preserved by the archives.

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Village activities, schools have a lot of history. If it has historical value, we will keep it.

The community archiving efforts in Malaysia have been recognized as a best practice in the region. The minister pointed out that many valuable records exist outside official repositories, residing in personal family albums, village collections, local associations, places of worship, schools, and private collections.

As of March 2026, the continuous collection program has recorded a total of 309,740 community archive materials. These include images of village celebrations, traditional music recordings, videos of community activities, and oral histories shared by elders, all of which provide valuable information about the nation's heritage to the public.

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Many valuable records are outside official storage, such as in family albums, village collections, local associations, places of worship, schools, and personal collections.