Shah alam: A total of 159 students from 17 schools in Selangor marked Malaysia Day in an unusual setting, spending a night at the Sultan Alam Shah Museum under the 'Sleepover at the Museum' programme.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, Selangor Malay Customs and Heritage Corporation (PADAT) chief executive officer Aslynda Mohd Dahlan said the two-day programme, which began yesterday, involved students aged 13 to 17 and was organised in collaboration with the Department of Museums Malaysia (JMM). She noted that the annual programme was held in conjunction with this year's Malaysia Day celebrations to foster greater appreciation of the nation's history and heritage among the younger generation through interactive activities.
Aslynda highlighted the importance of experiential learning in helping the younger generation perceive museums as more than just places for storing and displaying collections. She emphasized that museums preserve the stories and heritage that define the community and help young people understand past communities, their customs, art, and the events that shaped the state and the country. This was shared during the closing ceremony of the Selangor State-level 'Sleepover at the Museum' programme at the museum.
The 17 participating schools included Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan (SMK) Seksyen 9, Sekolah Agama Menengah Tinggi Tengku Ampuan Jemaah (SAMTTAJ), SMK Seksyen 24 (2), SMK Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah, and SMK Seksyen 18, among others.
Aslynda also explained that the programme featured a mix of educational, interactive, and physical activities, such as knowledge-sharing sessions with curators and Akademi Kenegaraan Malaysia, fitness sessions, the Young Curator Programme, and museum exploration. The Young Curator Programme, in particular, allowed participants to interact with museum collections and create dioramas or replicas of artefacts using recycled materials, making the study of history and heritage more engaging and extending learning beyond textbooks.
She expressed hope that the hands-on learning experience would encourage participants to be more curious, confident, and disciplined while nurturing teamwork and the courage to try new things. Aslynda expressed hope that such programmes would strengthen the museum's role as a place for informal learning and encourage the younger generation to appreciate and preserve history and heritage.
Additionally, Aslynda emphasized the significance of the Sultan Alam Shah Museum as a place where the younger generation could learn about history and heritage in a relevant, engaging, and easy-to-understand way, highlighting the impact of seeing artefacts up close and learning the stories behind them.
Muhammad Hafidz Ikram Mohd Nor Azman, 16, who was named the programme's best male participant, shared his enthusiasm for the activities, noting that they provided an opportunity to learn history interactively rather than solely through textbooks. The Form Four student from SAMTTAJ expressed his enjoyment in learning new things and meeting students from other schools through this programme.