PUTRAJAYA, 27 MARCH 2013 – The award-winning ‘1001 Inventions: Golden Age of  Muslim Civilisation Exhibition is making its way to Malaysia this year, giving a unique opportunity for Malaysians and tourists to witness first-hand the wonders of scientific  inventions during the Muslim civilisation.

The Visit Malaysia Year 2014 event calendar will certainly make history when the 1001 Inventions Exhibition makes its Asian debut at Science Museum, Kuala Lumpur from June to December, 2013. The exhibition is specifically tailored for the Malaysian target market and brought by 1001 Inventions UK Ltd. and Science Discoveries Sdn. Bhd. with the support from the Ministry of Tourism, Malaysia.

“Hosting this phenomenal exhibition will help boost the global branding and the positioning of Malaysia. It will put Malaysia on par with metropolitan cities such as London, Istanbul, New York, Los Angeles, Washington D.C. and the Middle East; which have hosted this exhibition with acclaimed success by attracting over 3 million visitors,” said the Minister of Tourism, Dato’ Sri Dr. Ng Yen Yen at a press conference here today,

“The choice of Malaysia as the first Asian destination for the 1001 Inventions shows the country is an ideal destination for hosting of events and exhibitions of international standing. Foreign visitors and tourists alike to this exhibition would contribute to the local economy in terms of tourist dollars when this bi-lingual Malay-English state-of-the-art exhibition tours several states in Malaysia,” noted Dato’ Sri Dr. Yen Yen.

This exhibition will look at the social, scientific and technical achievements that are credited to the Muslim world whilst celebrating the shared scientific heritage of other cultures.

“1001 Inventions will show how people of different cultures, races and religions lived in peace and harmony and were able to adapt, innovate and create inventions, given the challenges of that time and to inspire our young people to build a better future. Similarly, the Visit Malaysia Year 2014 theme, ‘Celebrating 1 Malaysia…Truly Asia’ is intended to spread the message to the world that Malaysia is a diverse and multi-cultural country where people from different cultures, ethnic groups and race co-exist and work together to build the foundation of Malaysia today. Diversity is our strength,” she continued.

Diverse inventors of various faiths, cultures and ethnicities during the 7th century golden age of science from the Muslim civilisation, stretching from Spain to China have contributed to the advancement of scholarship and technology, paving the way for the European Renaissance.

“The elephant clock is an early 13th century machine which gives physical form to multiculturalism. This engineering marvel features an Indian elephant, Chinese dragons, a Greek water mechanism, an Egyptian phoenix, and wooden robots in traditional Arabian attire. It embodies cultural and scientific convergence of civilisations and is an appropriate centre-piece for an exhibition about the roots of science and technology,” said Professor Salim T S Al-Hassani, Chairman of 1001 Inventions Exhibition.

He said that 1001 Inventions will help bridge themes in the history of science, industry and arts with numerous contemporary developments by demonstrating how ideas travelled and were developed through the ages.

“This shows that knowledge knows no horizons and that globalization is not just an ‘in’ word but has occured since the 7th century. Admiral Zheng He, for one, has visited 37 countries and made seven monumental global sea voyages for trade and diplomacy. A model of Zheng He’s chinese junk ship – originally a 15th century wooden super structure over 325-feet long – is on display during the exhibition,” he added.

Exhibition visitors can learn about parallel stories of inventions from other cultures and civilisations. It features a diverse range of exhibits, interactive displays and dramatisation. It shows how many modern inventions, spanning fields such as engineering, medicine and design, can trace their roots back to early Muslim civilisation.

The ‘1001 Inventions: Kegemilangan Tamadun Muslim’ exhibition will start its premier tour at Pusat Sains Negara, Kuala Lumpur in June 2013.
 

For more information, please contact:

Science Discoveries Sdn Bhd
Tel: 03 7804 5122, +60 10 403 1001. Email: info@1001imalaysia.com.my
Pn. Sabariah Daud - 019 212 9880.  sabariah@1001imalaysia.com.my
Mr. David Oh - 019 328 7723.  davidoh@1001imalaysia.com.my
Dahlia Kassim - 017 3287821, dahlia@sciencediscoveries.com.my
Catherine See – 0124958824, Cat@1001imalaysia.com.my

About  1001 Inventions

1001 Inventions is a leading international science and cultural heritage brand that has reached over 50 million people through its award-winning educational programmes, exhibitions, films, books and international events. In 2011, following the highly successful residencies in London and Istanbul which secured almost a million visitors, our English language exhibition was crowned “Best Touring Exhibition” at the Museums And Heritage Excellence Awards held in London.

The 1001 Inventions initiative has received recognition from industry leaders, statesmen and academics from around the world.. The exhibition’s introductory film “Library of Secrets” starring Sir Ben Kinglsey has more than 20 million downloads and won more than 20 industry awards including “Best Film” recognition in Cannes, Los Angeles and at the New York Film Festival. In 2010, 1001 Inventions was presented with the Google sponsored “Science and Technology” award at the Mosaic Talent Awards.

To date, the interactive 1001 Inventions exhibition has attracted almost three million visitors during its residencies in London, New York, Los Angeles, Istanbul, Abu Dhabi, Dhahran, Doha and Washington D.C. The exhibition’s best-selling companion book, now in its third edition, has sold more than 200,000 copies and has been translated into Arabic and Turkish.

1001 Inventions is supported by the UK-based Foundation for Science, Technology And Civilisation; an international network of academic experts, as its global knowledge partner.

1001 Inventions is based on two decades of research by more than a hundred leading academics and educationalists from around the world. The content of the 1001 Inventions exhibition was reviewed and approved by an independent panel of academics and experts from the London Science Museum and the California Science Center.

For more information, please visit our website at www.1001inventions.com/references.

For more media releases, media info and media features on Malaysia’s tourism industry, kindly visit the Media Centre of Tourism Malaysia’s website at http://www.tourismmalaysia.gov.my/

MALAYSIA TOURISM PROMOTION BOARD OR TOURISM MALAYSIA is an agency under the Ministry of Tourism, Malaysia. While the Ministry of Tourism implements tourism policies, conducts studies and offers incentives for industry players, Tourism Malaysia focuses on the specific task of promoting Malaysia at the domestic and international level. Driven by its aspiration to promote Malaysia as a destination of excellence in this region, Tourism Malaysia has grown by leaps and bounds since its inception and has emerged as a major player in the nation’s socio-economic landscape. In 2012, Malaysia registered 25 million tourist arrivals and RM60.6 billion in tourist receipts.

In 2014, Malaysia will celebrate its fourth VISIT MALAYSIA YEAR (VMY) with the theme “Celebrating 1Malaysia Truly Asia”. The VMY 2014 promotional campaign has started this year with a series of year-long special events and activities leading to VMY 2014. It will contribute to the Government’s target to receive 36 million tourist arrivals and RM168 billion in receipts by 2020, as outlined in the Malaysia Tourism Transformation Plan (MTTP) 2020.    

Press contact:
Media Relations Unit:
Mr. Razaidi Abd Rahim, Senior Asst. Director, Communications & Publicity Division
Email: razaidi@tourism.gov.my

Editorial Unit:
Ms. Anis Rozalina Ramli, Editor, Communications & Publicity Division
Email: anisramli@tourism.gov.my