KUALA LUMPUR: SOME 78 objects — 40 from the Negri Sembilan and 38 from Kelantan royal houses — are on show at the second series of the Selected Collections of the Malay Sultans exhibition at Balairung Seri, the National Palace Royal Museum until March 1.
The public will be able to see some of the most important instruments in the royal regalia of the two states. They include the long Keris, which is the most important royal regalia in Negri Sembilan royal ceremonies and the royal regalia of Kelantan such as the tasselled spear, ceremonial flag, state flag, and constitutional flag.
The chancellor robe and military uniform of Sultan Mohammad V of Kelantan are also on exhibition. Those interested in the Negri Sembilan royal family would have the privilege to see the private album and pictures of the Yang di-Pertuan Besar Negri Sembilan Tuanku Muhriz Ibni Almarhum Tuanku Munawir, when he was a student at the Aberystwyth University, Wales in 1968.
A intricately-crafted tepak sirih, a symbol of Malay culture, of the royal house of Kelantan — though a replica — shows the delicate beauty of the betelnut box that has graced the palace in the olden days.
An exhibition of any royal house cannot go without a crown, and the Selected Collections of the Malay Sultans Series II showcases the crown of the Kelantan sultan, albeit just a replica but a good one in that real gemstones were used.
Department of Museums Malaysia director-general Datuk Ibrahim Ismail at the launch recently said it was a great privilege to be able to obtain the royal items for the exhibition.
“Among the things exhibited are those which are sentimental to the sultans, such as things given by his subjects and their personal pictures, including the taxidermies of a crocodile and a tiger that belonged to Tuanku Muhriz.”
The exhibition is divided into five segments. The first educates the public about the history and sovereignty of the royal families and the role of constitutional monarchy.
The second deals with the legacy of the sultans — from the ancient system of the Malay government, the Malacca Sultanate to the monarchs of the present day.
The third segment takes a look at the royal tradition and how the institution cannot be separated from the government of the day. The fourth segment takes a peek at the close relationship between the sultans and the people and how the saying “the King and the people cannot be separated” came into being.
The sultan is always the guardian of the people especially in welfare and education while the people have to always remain loyal, states an exhibit.
The last segment delves into the personalities of the sultans, including their hobbies. The National Palace Royal Museum is open daily from 9am to 5pm.