The government’s budget efficiency policy has affected many activities and programs across Ministries, Agencies, and local governments, including efforts to preserve ancient manuscripts.
Due to budget cuts, the National Library can only preserve 2,165 of the 10,300 ancient manuscripts targeted this year.
In addition to budget constraints, preservation efforts are also threatened by the increasing sale of ancient manuscripts and the shortage of philology experts in the country, an area still dominated mainly by foreign scholars.
UGM archiving expert Waluyo noted that this budget-cutting policy could impact the preservation of ancient manuscripts. The preservation efforts require significant resources and funding.
“The preservation of ancient manuscripts, which involves efforts to save and extend the life of these documents through processes like cataloging, conservation, restoration, and media conversion, all require considerable funding,” he stated on Wednesday (Mar. 5).
The UGM Vocational College (SV UGM) lecturer explained that even before the budget efficiency measures were implemented, government funding and attention to these efforts were already insufficient.
A common issue in the field, such as during identification efforts, is the vast number of ancient manuscripts scattered among individuals and unrecorded by relevant authorities.
Furthermore, there is still a shortage of experts, such as philologists, which presents a significant challenge for the government in training academics to become specialists in these fields.
“There is a need for more experts, as many ancient manuscripts, for example, are located abroad, like those taken during the British colonial era and now held at the British Library,” he said.
According to him, the process of media conversion, which can involve thousands of pages, requires substantial funding.
Even for the return of manuscripts that were converted between 2017 and 2025, which spanned many volumes, donations from the public were necessary.
This reflects a lack of collective responsibility for preserving ancient manuscripts, despite the fact that this responsibility falls on the National Library, as outlined in National Library Regulation No. 9 of 2024, which is relatively recent.
This situation highlights the government’s lack of awareness regarding the preservation of ancient manuscripts.
“It seems that the preservation process itself has not yet been encouraging. The core issue appears to be the lack of understanding and awareness of ancient manuscripts and their preservation,” the expert said.
Waluyo also explained that in his field of archiving, all recorded information, including ancient manuscripts, is crucial, as these documents serve as evidence of individual or organizational activities.
Moreover, ancient manuscripts offer knowledge that can benefit society.
Additionally, the preservation of ancient manuscripts aims to ensure that future generations do not forget their history and can learn from it, especially since these manuscripts serve as evidence of past events, such as the glory of past kingdoms.
“If we trace back in time and consider certain events we have experienced, what is the strongest authentic evidence? One of the most significant sources is primary information, such as manuscripts and archives. Therefore, it is essential to save them,” he said.
The current problems, aside from budget efficiency, also include the sale of ancient manuscripts, which hinders the preservation process.
Therefore, the government, as the policy-maker, should take a more active role in supporting and appreciating those who own these manuscripts and monitor the sale of ancient manuscripts, which still occurs frequently.
Waluyo emphasized that these preservation efforts should not be the sole responsibility of a single entity, such as the National Library.
Instead, they should be the responsibility of all elements of society. Therefore, education and increased awareness are necessary to ensure that the preservation of ancient manuscripts is viewed not as a static endeavor but as an ongoing need for data.
“A nation’s civilization is also determined by the achievements and intellectual records found in these ancient manuscripts,” he reminded.
He also quoted Sarmidji, one of the hundreds of 1965 exiles, who said,
“Save what can be saved,” emphasizing that ancient manuscripts are invaluable cultural records from the past and should not be measured merely by budget considerations. All parties should recognize that this preservation effort is a form of dedication to our nation’s important historical documents.
“Indeed, it is our responsibility to save these documents in any condition to showcase the greatness, excellence, and progress of our civilization,” he concluded.
Author: Leony
Editor: Gusti Grehenson
Post-editor: Afifudin Baliya
Photographs: Antara and Dreamsea