The general attitude towards museums in Penang has, it has been said, been one of apathy. One museum is quietly attempting to change that - by talking science and culture directly to the people.
THERE IS A QUIET revolution taking place in Penang. A museum is moving into the streets, into the heart of the community, bringing with it an integrated approach to Art and Science. It has a friendly face and an interactive bent. It also welcomes, inspires and instigates pockets of peripheral and disenfranchised groups, linking them to its core activities and indirectly making hitherto subcultures mainstream.
I am talking about Universiti Sains Malaysia's USM Muzium & Galeri Tuanku Fauziah (MGTF). Making this paradigm shift is no easy thing. It is the bold initiative of Hasnul A. Saidon, who has been its director since April 2005.
