GEORGE TOWN, Aug 28 — Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) now has exclusive digital image access to the largest collection of Malay manuscripts in the world, the Malay Archipelago Correspondence Collection 1768–1794, also known as the Light Letters.

The university, through its Centre for Policy Research (CPR) and the USM Hamzah Sendut Library (USM Library), was granted the exclusive rights to the digital images of documents by the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) in the University of London via a memorandum of agreement signed in September 2018.

“The Light Letters hold great potential for research across various fields and will aid in studies, particularly in the history of the Nusantara region,” USM vice-chancellor Professor Datuk Seri Abdul Rahman Mohamed said in a statement today.

He said the rights to the Light Letters granted to the USM library will provide significant opportunities for researchers to conduct new studies on local history.

He said that the collection contains approximately 1,200 letters (2,400 images) across 11 volumes.

“It is likely the largest (Malay Manuscript) collection in the world, which can be utilised by researchers in the region,” he said.

The Light Letters included writings and notes from the old Malay sultanates, royal family members, Malay dignitaries, and prominent figures from the Malay archipelago, business associates, wives of Malay nobles, British merchant Francis Light, and several English traders written over a period of 26 years from 1768 to 1794.

The letters are categorised into those sent to Light, those sent to Scott (Light’s business associate), notes, records, drafts and copies sent by Light, letters from kings and dignitaries, and other documents such as bills, receipts, petitions, and contracts.

The collection includes letters from Penang, Kedah, Perlis, Selangor, Perak, Terengganu, Kelantan, Borneo, Acheh, Asahan, Batu Bahara, Siak, Palembang, Pontianak, and others.

“The access to digital images of the Light Letters greatly benefits the academic world, particularly in enhancing the availability and quality of historical sources for researchers and scholars, supporting efforts to preserve and understand valuable historical heritage,” Abdul Rahman said.

The digitised Light Letters have resulted in 2,400 images that need to be properly stored.

Under the agreement with SOAS, the USM library is responsible for preserving and maintaining the digital collection of the Light Letters.

The exclusive deal lasts for as long as USM stores the images according to the agreement, which is renewed on an annual basis.

The digital images of the collection are accessible through a dedicated portal.

The USM library will carry out cataloguing of the digital Light Letters while transliterations and transcriptions are produced by the CPR.

Transcriptions and descriptive metadata is accessible through an open-source software system managed by the USM Library.