Delegation from Gallery Tuanku Ja’afar Visit Perak Academy . YLCO Museum Gifts Them A Surprise

The team from GDTJ with a photo of Tuanku Ja'afar (left photo) and royalty from YLCO Museum 

A delegation from the Royal Gallery Tuanku Ja’afar visited the Perak Academy and YLCO Museum in early May. It was led by Mohd Khairil Hisham, the Curator and accompanied with Research Officer Cik Nur Amira and her colleague Aina. They were greeted by Perak Academy’s Chairman Adib Vincent Tung Abdullah and Vice Chairman Chan Chee Keong.

(l/r) Aina, Nur Amira, Mohd Khairil Hashim, Adib Vincent Tung Abdullah and Chan Kok Keong

The trio were in Perak for the last two weeks visiting museums in Perak such as the Kinta Tin Mine Museum in Kampar, Antong Coffee Mill,Taiping which was the historical home of Chinese revolutionary Dr. Sun Yat-Sen and his lover, Chen Chuifen and Lat’s Gallery in Batu Gajah which they enjoyed. However the team was disappointed as the Gopeng Museum was closed.

Their purpose was to view the link between the Federated Malay States, a straight forward treaty which the British signed with the Sultan of Perak and agreeing to accept a British Resident. Unlike in Negeri Sembilan due to its unique structure had 6 treaties with 6 British Residents signed between 1874 till 1888.

According to Khairil the Gallery Tuanku Diraja Ja’afar (GDTJ) is a privately funded establishment under the Tuanku Ja’afar Foundation. It has a staff strength of eight including 2 from marketing. They have three halls including a multi-purpose hall, all available for rent. The Gallery has 4 progammes / exhibits a year which is presented to the board a year in advance. As such ”we are very busy throughout the year” said Khairil.   

The Chinese in Seremban loved Tuanku Ja’afar the son of Tuanku Abdul Rahman and that is why we collaborate with them. Chinese account for 50% of our visitors each year. That is the reason our gallery brochures are printed in Bahasa Malaysia and Chinese. 

A brochure of the Gallery printed in Bahasa Malaysia and Chinese

The Negeri Sembilan Royal Family and the Kuomintang (KMA, the Chinese Nationalist Party founded by Sun Yat-sen in 1912) were very close. Tuanku Abdul Rahman who was Malaysia’s 1^st Agong kept a bodyguard who was from the KMA. He was a target of the communist due to his closeness with the KMA.

A major incident occurred in 1951 when Tuanku Abdul Rahman was retuning to Seremban from Singapore by train. He was attacked by communists at Tampin resulting in 12 persons killed. It was reported in the Singapore daily but was silent in Malaya.

In fact GDTJ has a collaboration with all the Chinese museums ie Selangor, Johore, Penang and Negeri Sembilan. We have a cultural exchange with 2 Chinese museums in Negeri Sembilan belonging to the Chinese Chambers in the dialects of Hakka and Teochew.

After a fruitful discussion the delegation visited the YLCO family Museum. Curator Ignatius Chew greeted Mohd Khairil and proceeded to showed them the family museum. The team posed with Malaysian Oscar winning actress Tan Sri Michelle Yeoh.

The team from GDTJ pose with 'Tan Sri Michelle Yeoh" ......

Ignatius Chew shows the team around the museum 

the GDTJ getting a closer look ........

Ignatius showed them a photo of Tuanku Ja’afar the Yang DiPertuan Besar of Negeri Sembilan with the Sultans of Perak, Pahang and Perlis together to which they immediately showed interest. The photo was from the file of Yeoh Cheang Lee, the chairman of the Perak Turf Club at its inaugural opening ceremony on 26 February 1971.

Yeoh Cheang Lee at the inaugural opening of the Perak Turf Club on February 1971. In attendance (l/r) Tuanku Ja'afar Yang DiPertuan Besar of Negeri Sembilan , The Sultan of Pahang and his consort Che Puan Maria, The Sultan of Perak, Raja Perempuan of Perak, the Raja of Perlis and Tunku Abdul Rahman 1st Prime of Malaysia

(l/r) Tuanku Ja'afar Yang DiPertuan Besar of Negeri Sembilan, Raja of Perlis, Sultan of Pahang, Dato Yeoh Cheang Lee and the Sultan of Perak 

What a coincidence for Mohd Khairil could take home some memories from YLCO Museum.

JAG