Southeast Asian Countries Lack Expertise In Handling Digital Records

KUALA LUMPUR, May 9 (Bernama) -- Southeast Asian countries are lacking in terms of expertise in handling digital records, said Ministry of Tourism and Culture deputy secretary-general Rashidi Hasbullah. He said that countries in this region were also facing challenges in terms of having limited number of academic institutions which offered the subject on preservation of digital records. “In short, human capital development is crucial in making this initiative a success, he said when opening the International Symposium on Preservation and Access, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation's (UNESCO) Memory of the World programme themed "Southeast Asia's Documentary Heritage in the Digital Age" at Malaysia Tourism Centre (MATIC), here Monday. He said it was his sincere hope that the UNESCO's recommendations could further assist Malaysia as well as the other member states both, at national level through identification of documentary heritage, strategies and policy measures ensuring preservation and access to it. “At the international level, hopefully it will assist us through bilateral or multilateral research projects and publishing guidelines, policies and best practice model," he said. “Much of Southeast Asia's rich documentary heritage is at risk due to improper or inadequate safeguarding measure, or is not easily accessible to all citizens,” he added. The four-day symposium aimed to develop a concrete action plan to address ongoing challenges relating to documentary heritage in the region through implementation of UNESCO's recommendation concerning the preservation and access to documentary heritage including in digital form. The recommendation serves as the most up-to-date tool available to governments, museums, archives, libraries, private sector and individuals working to preserve and provide access to the world’s documentary heritage. UNESCO, with the support of the Malaysian government, is holding the symposium as the recommendation has yet to be applied in the ASEAN countries. The symposium brings together experts, policy-makers, and representatives from archives, museums, library from ASEAN member nations, China, Japan, Korea and Timor Leste to develop an implementation plan for the recommendation tailored to the region. --BERNAMA