By Zaki Salleh
IPOH: A family’s 400-kilometer trip from Jasin, Melaka to Kuala Kangsar to visit the Sultan Azlan Shah Gallery turned into disappointment when they found the gallery was closed.
The family chose Kuala Kangsar and Ipoh as the location of the trip during the school holidays because of the historical attractions, in addition to visiting interesting places.
The head of the family, who wanted to be known as Shah Ahmad, said he did not know that the Sultan Azlan Shah Gallery was still closed and not yet open to visitors.
He said that he only found that out after arriving, being informed by security that the gallery had been temporarily closed for the past five years.
“Before coming here, I opened the Facebook page of Lembaga Muzium Negeri Perak, but did not find any notice saying that the gallery was not yet open.
“However, the official website Lembaga Muzium Negeri Perak informed that the gallery will be closed for upgrading work starting June 1, 2018.
“I thought it might be an old notice because often the websites of museums or government departments are not updated.
“Even though the gallery is doing upgrade work, it isn’t right that up till 2023 it’s still not finished? At least visitors can enter the gallery grounds to take souvenir photos,” he said.
He also said that conversations with some local residents he met revealed that they too were not aware that the gallery was closed.
The Sultan Azlan Shah Gallery was inaugurated by the Sultan of Perak, Sultan Azlan Shah on 9 December 2003.
This palace was originally the resting place of three Sultans of Perak, the late Sultan Idris Murshidul ‘Adzam Shah I, the late Sultan Abdul Jalil Karamatullah Shah and the late Sultan Yussuf Izzudin Shah.
Now it is a gallery that records the history and important events of Sultan Azlan Shah’s life journey starting from his childhood until he became famous as His Majesty the 9th Yang Dipertuan Agong.
The disappointment of Shah Ahmad and his family was doubled when a visit to Istana Kenangan or the Kuala Kangsar Royal Museum found them similarly closed.
He said visitors can only see the palace from the outside while visitors are not allowed to go up to the locked palace.
Shah Samad view is that Lembaga Muzium Negeri Perak Board should have an alternative way to allow visitors to see the heritage exhibition of the Perak Sultanate.
This is because there are various methods such as placing exhibitions using vehicles or various creative and informative ways.
“This is because many visitors come but are disappointed when there is not much to see except the Istana Kenangan building.
“It would be a loss if the Lembaga Muzium Negeri Perak did nothing because the experience of not being able to visit both museums and galleries left a negative impression,” he said.
