Repositori Digital Cerita Malaysia dicadang jadi khazanah nasional

The National Unity Minister, Aaron Ago Dagang, inaugurated the Malaysia Storytelling Festival 2026 at the National Library today. (Picture Bernama) The Malaysian National Library (PNM) is set to launch the Digital Repository of Malaysia Stories as a national digital heritage to preserve the community's stories, memories, and voices for future generations.

The minister said the initiative can expand the PNM's role from merely safeguarding national publications to being an institution that also protects the nation's memory and voice. He added that stories forming Malaysia's identity need to be documented to prevent being lost to the sands of time, besides continuing to serve as a source of knowledge, research, and inspiration for future generations.

"This initiative will make the PNM not only a guardian of national publications but also a guardian of the nation's memory and voice," he said during the inauguration of the Malaysia Storytelling Festival 2026 at the PNM today. In his speech, Aaron emphasized that artificial intelligence (AI) should not be seen as solely replacing human storytelling.

Instead, he said technology should be ethically utilized to expand creativity and presentation methods without compromising the authenticity, integrity, and human values in storytelling. The festival, themed "Storytelling as Cultural Heritage," aims to celebrate the craft of storytelling and elevate the culture of knowledge. It also seeks to ensure that the nation's heritage and legacy are valued and passed on to future generations.

The PNM's program ran for two days starting today from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., offering various activities for visitors including talks, podcasts, storytelling sessions, storytelling technique workshops, digital animation and comics, book writing and illustration, and storytelling competitions.