Serdang - The oldest handwritten and decorated Quran in Southeast Asia will be the star attraction at the biggest antique display and auction event in the country on Friday.
The 500-year-old holy book from Makasar in South Sulawesi, Indonesia, will be displayed for the first time at the World Heritage Legacy exhibition at Sultan Alam Shah Museum in Shah Alam.
A 1,000-year old keris from Central Java called "Keris Utama Prabu Demak", and a Thomas Edison polyphone radio, said to be 119 years old, are also expected to be a hit among visitors.
The event, organised by a group of students and their lecturer from the Universiti Putra Malaysia`s faculty of Modern Languages and Communications, aims to expose students to a new learning experience.
"We also want the students to appreciate these priceless heritage and learn to help each other," programme coordinator Dr Muhammad Pauzi Abd Latif said.
"This is because the money collected from the auction will be channelled to the university`s student`s welfare fund to help needy students cope with their financial burden."
About 500 items will be on display at the three-day event, and 400 of the items are going to be auctioned on Oct 26.
Heritage Auction House licensed auctioneer Mohd Radzuan Jamaluddin, who owns about 80 per cent of the items, said the lowest bidding would start at RM2,000.
"Some of the oldest items will even be auctioned at RM500,000.
"These are rare items which I`ve collected from all over the world.
"Even museums don`t have them," he said recently.
Radzuan, who has been collecting antiques over the past five years, said he would also sell a 314-year-old Quran from Mecca.
"I will not auction artifacts related to the religion because it is a sensitive issue. But others like the oldest floral silk fabric called `Cindai` and a 129-year-old sewing machine from Malaysia will be auctioned."
Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Azalina Othman, who is also the event`s patron, will be at the auction ceremony.
Source: http://www.nst.com.myhttp://www.nst.com.my(October 21, 2008)
