When you think of ancient scripts and writing, what comes to mind? Hieroglyphs? What about something like this:

That’s the Kanjuruhan stone, an 8th century Sanskrit text written in Old Javanese. It’s one of the many exhibits of old Malay texts in Aksara: The Passage of Malay Scripts exhibition at the 10th floor of the National Library.

I must say that this exhibition is highly underrated, and it’s a shame I only just discovered it last week because the exhibition is going to end its run on June 30. Aksara features the many scripts, writings and inscriptions that have developed over the Malay world from ancient times to now.

The four galleries trace the evolution of Malay scripts in chronological order, starting from the Sacred Writing from the early centuries AD, to the coming of Islam, Colonial Times and Modern Singapore. While I cover the exhibit as a whole in this post, you might want to see some of the more ancient scripts close-up here.

This accordion-shaped book is the Pustaha Laklak manuscript, which is used by Batak healers and magicians to record their esoteric knowledge. The folded paes are made of the bark of an Alim tree.

Many of the exhibits here are on loan from collections of regional museums. In the Islamic gallery, the Terengganu Scripted Stone on the right is the earliest record of Islam in Malaysia.

This document probably best sums up the colonial the colonial legacy in the Malay world. This is the famous treaty of 1819, signed between Tengku Hussein and Temmenggong Abdul Rahman with the East India Company. As a result of this treaty, the East India Company would recognise Tengku Hussein as the Sultan of Singapore and in return, the company would be able to establish a trading settlement in Singapore. The rest, they say, is history…

Fast forwarding to the modern Singapore gallery, we are treated to the the publishing of the Malay language in recent times and today. The contraption in the middle is an early printing press, flanked with copies of early Malay-language newspapers like Jawi Peranakan, Bintang Timor, Lembaga Melayu and Utusan Melayu.

It is rare to see so many significant writings of the region gathered in one exhibition, so it’s one exhibition not to be missed. Aksara: The Passage of Malay Scripts will be at The National Library until June 30, so hurry now before it’s over! Admission is free and there are guided tours every Saturday afternoon as well.

Tags: Aksara: The Passage of Malay Scripts, National Library Singapore, Malay scripts, Jawi Peranakan, Bintang Timor, Lembaga Melayu, Utusan Melayu, Terengganu Stone, Treaty of 1819, Pustaha Laklak manuscript