The Melaka government, through the Melaka Museum Corporation (Perzim), will make efforts to gain access to records, letters and historical documents of great significance to the state and country that are located in various countries, said Chief Minister Datuk Seri Ab Rauf Yusoh .
He said that the state government would therefore sign memoranda of cooperation with the Department of Museums Malaysia, the National Archives of Malaysia, and the National Library to realise this aspiration.
He said such access includes documents detailing the story of Panglima Awang and the glory of the Melaka Malay Sultanate prior to the 15th century.
“I, together with a state government delegation, visited to the Netherlands to personally examine various records, letters, and historical documents that are highly meaningful to Melaka and our country.
“(From the visit) This discovery confirms that Panglima Awang (Enrique de Malacca), a native son of Melaka, was the first individual from this region to have circumnavigated the globe in the 16th century,” he said in a post on his Facebook page yesterday.
He said that around 1495 to 1500, the name Panglima Awang was recorded as a key crew member and interpreter during Ferdinand Magellan’s voyage.
The discovery, he said, is not merely about recognising a name, but brings a new meaning to Melaka’s history, reviving an important narrative that may have once been overlooked or misrepresented.
Ab Rauf said it is now time to set the historical record straight, to revive the heritage of greatness and to introduce Panglima Awang as a maritime icon, a symbol of bravery, wisdom, and the true maritime identity of Melaka.
In addition, he said the state government through Perzim also plans to develop a digital platform involving an inventory of the state's historical documents.
He said the digital platform will be developed in collaboration with several Federal government agencies with the aim of gathering these valuable materials so that they may be accessed and utilised by all, particularly future generations.