In need of Joose!!!

Over the weekend, took the kids go jalan-jalan and instead of going to the celluloid shopping complexes, took them to the Museum! Gosh, it has been like 20 years since I stepped into the National Museum. Paid RM2/= for parking and well.... it was to see some of the nation's history... and was I in for a shock.... I need more joose... this is depressing..

Well, the entrace fee was RM2/= per person, so I had to dutifully pay RM4 for 2 adults and 2 kids and there was nothing much at ground level, some renovation was still on going.. walked up the stairs... and there you have it... pre-Malaysia and post- Malaysia. What greeted me was beyond my comprehension... I remembered way back in primary school... we studied Tawarikh... it was sort of history and I remembered quite well that the peninsula as well as Borneo had some early civilization and the artifacts that goes with it. We have also studied the history of Langkasuka.... Bujang Valley and of course the great Malacca Sultanate... what greeted me at the door entrace was.. WOW!! Portuguese 1511... then the Dutch... then we have the sword that killed JWW Birch... then we had the suit worn by Raja Tun Uda.. worn by err.. RPK's Grand-daddy.. I think... then we have a kapal korek.. of which I thought was pretty modern and is not pre independence.. studied about it in Ilmu Alam.. then the japanese occupation etc.

Sometimes I really wonder if that is all there is to our history? I guess more horrors met me at Malaysia Today! I think PRK will be really pissed that they associate his website to such poorly thought out history. Nothing much to learn here.... and I just realized that we have ditched Vision 2020.... it its place is Vision 2057! Gosh... as I walked out towards the hillock to get myself a drink and some good ol' kacang puteh.. I saw some mat salleh coming out shaking their heads... I can understand why... kudos however to the Orang Asli Museum.. it was amongst the most informative of all. Maybe because I learnt something I did not know of, the various tribe making the groups of Orang Aslis that we read in our books.

Maybe its about time they rewrite history in its actual form and have further research and make the museum more interesting with real historical artifacts than a model kapal korek and a bicycle used by Japanese army in their invasion of Malaya. There is also nothing said about the formation of Malaysia and the separation of Singapore that leads to what is called Malaysia today. All in all, I was disappointed and I have alot to rant to the person who told me the museum has improved alot. Then again, maybe its my expectation level of what a Museum should be, but I guess I should be happy that my kids get to see rubber tapping, kapal korek and some ancient swords and guns.