A mural located at the MAS RRH@LIBRIS.
The unveiling of MAS RRH@LIBRIS by President Halimah Yacob.
(L to R) NTU Deputy President and Provost, Professor Ling San; NIE Director, Professor Christine Goh; President Halimah Yacob; NTU President, Professor Subra Suresh; and the late Dr Muhammad Ariff Ahmad’s daughter, Mdm Shahrulbariah.
President Halimah Yacob honoured MAS’ contribution at the launch of the MAS RRH@LIBRIS.
The National Institute of Education (NIE) is honouring the late Dr Muhammad Ariff Ahmad, “the father of Malay language, literature and culture”, with a permanent exhibition at the NIE Library dedicated to his contributions. Also known as “MAS”, Dr Muhammad Ariff was a Malay teacher who taught at the Teachers’ Training College and Institute of Education from 1959 to 1979. He was also the recipient of a Cultural Medallion, a Public Service Star, and the prestigious Pendeta (Sage) award for his significant contributions to Malay language and literature.
The new facility, named the MAS Research and Resource Hub (MAS RRH@LIBRIS), was unveiled by President Halimah Yacob on 31 March 2021. It features a collection of invaluable writings by MAS on Malay language and culture that would be useful and relevant to teachers and those involved in curriculum development. It also houses a series of artefacts, including books and photographs, donated by Dr Muhammad Ariff’s family.
During his lifetime, MAS authored numerous books, papers, newspaper columns on Malay language, literature, education, culture and values. He contributed extensively in the Malay language, literature, education and social domains, and played a significant role in Singapore’s nation-building efforts through his work at community and national levels. “Sastera Membina Manusia”, which means “Literature Builds Mankind”, had been his main motto in his teaching and writing. His instructions on Malay language are still widely practised by teachers today.
The MAS RRH@LIBRIS aims to preserve Dr Muhammad Ariff’s legacy for future generations of teaching and research professionals. To celebrate the opening of the exhibition, the Asian Languages and Cultures (ALC) Academic Group has designed three workshops for Primary, Secondary schools and educators using the resources developed by MAS.
“MAS has laid a strong foundation in Malay literacy and it is a delight that after seven years, this hub has come to reality at the National Institute of Education. We are hopeful that this exhibition, in both its physical and digital forms, will continue to inspire more literary enthusiasts, educators and researchers from Singapore, Southeast Asia and beyond to dive into flourishing Malay literacy and culture,” said Associate Professor Hadijah Rahmat, Head of ALC.
To access the MAS Manuscripts Collection, please click here.