UKM-ATMA, Yayasan Aman To Document Women’s Contributions In The Malay World

BANGI, Nov 5 (Bernama) -- Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), through its Institute of the Malay World and Civilisation (ATMA), has joined hands with Yayasan Aman to document the contributions and achievements of women in the history and development of the Malay World. 

The collaboration, formalised through the signing of a letter of intent (LOI), also encompasses research and publications related to the Nusantara, Malay language, Malay leadership and women’s leadership. 

UKM vice-chancellor Prof Datuk Dr Sufian Jusoh said the initiative aimed to highlight the roles and contributions of women, who have long been among the key drivers of societal and national development, but whose contributions warrant greater attention through historical documentation. 

“This collaboration involves funding and documentation support from Yayasan Aman, while ATMA contributes its research expertise towards implementing the programmes. 

“One of the primary focuses is to document women’s contributions to the development of the Malay World, with the materials also slated for inclusion in UKM’s Malay language large language model (LLM) database to enable access through artificial intelligence (AI) applications,” he told reporters after the LOI signing ceremony here today. 

The LOI was signed by Sufian and Yayasan Aman Board of Trustees member Ahmad Fahmi Mohd Samsudin, witnessed by Yayasan Aman Board of Trustees chairman Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail. 

Sufian said the initiative also aimed to disseminate knowledge through publications and community engagement activities, particularly among academics and community leaders, to enhance understanding of the country’s history and development. 

“For example, at UKM, we have Ibu Zain College (named after the late educator, Tan Sri Zainon Munshi Sulaiman). We want to introduce people to who she really was. We also have many distinguished professors who were educated at UKM and have contributed to the country’s development,” he said. 

He said the documentation process is expected to take about a year before the materials are published by UKM Press, followed by several knowledge-sharing programmes for the public. 

“We also want to ensure that women’s leadership is valued, as women bring different perspectives that can be combined with those of male leaders to strengthen organisations and have a greater impact on society,” he said. 

-- BERNAMA