Dear friends,
How to raise RM 5,000 for Penang Heritage Trust and get PHT in the national news.
I was nominated for the Malaysian Women's Weekly Great Women of Our Time (GWOT) Awards in the Arts & Media Category.
18 women in 6 categories that means 3 per category.
If I win in my category, the RM 5,000 award goes to Penang Heritage Trust, the charity of my choice.
Polling is by SMS. Each SMS will be charged RM 1. Vote as many times as you wish. Closing date: 2 Nov 2011.
Please refer to instructions on how to vote via SMS.
You can forward to your friends.
Oooh, I got all glammed up for the photo shoot, so vote for me and PHT! -- Salma
Nominees of Great Women of Our Time 2011
CATEGORY: ARTS & MEDIA
Khoo Salma Nasution, 48, Social historian
Fifth generation peranakan Khoo Salma Nasution’s journey as a social historian began in earnest when she was completing her art degree in Duke University. Influenced by other Malaysians who shared her passion for the arts, she began to see a city as an accumulation of past events, traditions and achievements.
Returning to her home state Penang after graduation, she looked at George Town with new eyes. Back in the 90s when Penang was known only as a beach destination and the term 'cultural tourism' was virtually unknown here, George Town was mired in a state of neglect and disrepair, but Salma saw its potential. “This was once a magnificent city, full of untold stories that could ignite its creative future.”
She walked around town taking photos to the bafflement of other skeptics who thought the young woman was being silly to venture into 'bad hat areas' to record oral histories from the residents.
Her efforts culminated in the wildly successful Streets of George Town, Penang, hailed as a bible for both laymen and academics for understanding the city's rich architectural heritage. She designed, edited and funded the publishing of the book with her own savings, like many projects she undertook, including the restoration of the shophouse at 120 Armenian Street, Sun Yat Sen's base for strategizing the 1911 Chinese Revolution. Her remarkable body of work on Malaysia's heritage includes More Than Merchants, A History of the German-speaking Community in Penang, 1800s-1940s; Penang Postcard Collection; Kinta Valley: Pioneering Malaysia's Modern Development, Sun Yat Sen in Penang and Heritage Houses of Penang.
She thinks children should learn history from heritage sites, not just textbooks. “Only when Malaysians – descendants of both indigenous people and migrants - can find stories that resonate for them, will their interest in documenting and preserving their rich architectural heritage be rekindled."
Her efforts have played a significant role in revitalizing much of George Town’s heritage, culminating in the city's listing as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2008. When complimented on her achievements, she simply says, “If only people knew what collective wealth we have in heritage, they would be as passionate as I am.”
Between being president of the Penang Heritage Trust, managing a publishing company Areca Books with her husband Abdur-Razzaq Lubis, running Dr Sun Yat Sen's Penang Base and endless heritage conferences, she has her hands full with three children. But she remains deeply committed to interpreting and documenting the heritage, history and values of Penang's landmarks, with particular emphasis to cultural diversity.
“Since the 1970s we have been suffering from a brain and talent drain. I wanted to give young Malaysians a reason to come back or at least remain connected to their heritage. Like Melaka, George Town has a long history as an international port city. Its multicultural heritage can provide an inspirational setting for a creative community that is locally rooted yet global in outlook. The possibilities are exciting.”
http://khoosalma.blogspot.com/
www.pht.org.my
www.arecabooks.com
http://www.facebook.com/khoo.salma
