Universiti Malaya Library Oral History Collection UMArc

History and Founding

The oral history initiative of the Universiti Malaya Library (UML) is a component of the University of Malaya Archive (UMArc), which was established in 1989 when the UM Library began collecting materials for an exhibition marking the Fortieth Anniversary of the Founding of University Education in Malaysia and Singapore (FAFUEMAS 1949). UMArc was officially launched on June 1, 2016, by the Director General of the National Archives of Malaysia. The archive is housed at Level 5 of the Za'ba Memorial Library Building at the Universiti Malaya campus in Kuala Lumpur. Under the Universiti Malaya Records Management Policy approved by the Board of Directors on April 6, 2023, all important university records must be submitted to UMArc, including records with historical value.

Collections and Holdings

The oral history component of UMArc documents the knowledge and recollections of prominent retired scholars and senior administrators associated with Universiti Malaya. As of 2025, nearly 40 prominent individuals have been interviewed, including former vice-chancellors, emeritus professors, distinguished professors, chief librarians, and senior administrators. All interview transcripts are preserved in UMArc. In addition to the oral history recordings, UMArc manages the UM Memory collection of historical photographs extending from the founding of the university in Singapore in 1949, the UM Research Repository for published and unpublished research, the Students' Repository for theses and dissertations, and various print and non-print materials related to the university's history. Manuscript collections include over 300 Malay manuscripts in literature, culture, traditional medicine, and Islamic religion, developed since the 1960s.

Access and Usage

The archive collection is available for internal reference only during office hours (8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.) at a designated area on Level 5 of the Za'ba Memorial Library. Sensitive materials require an approval letter from the university. The oral history recordings and transcripts are preserved for posterity and scholarly use. The UM Research Repository and Students' Repository are available online in open access formats.