RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - The Indonesian Ministry of Culture has officially initiated a strategic partnership with the Nusantara Manuscript Society (Manassa) to accelerate the protection and digitization of Indonesia's vast literary heritage. During an audience held on Tuesday, March 3, 2026, Minister of Culture, Fadli Zon emphasized that manuscripts are not merely artifacts but vital sources of ancestral knowledge that require a systematic rescue effort.

The collaboration aims to address the fragile state of an estimated 150,000 manuscripts scattered across the archipelago, many of which are currently held in private collections under threat from pests, natural disasters, and physical decay.

A primary focus of the meeting was the urgent need for specialized human resources. Manassa, an organization founded in 1996 by the late Philology Professor Ikah Halil, proposed a competency certification program for manuscript handling. This initiative is designed to standardize the technical skills of philologists and conservationists working with regional Cultural Heritage Expert Teams (TACB).

Minister Fadli Zon also highlighted the potential for digital repatriation. With significant portions of Indonesian manuscript collections currently housed in foreign institutions, the Ministry aims to secure digital access through international cooperation.

"A strong manuscript database is essential. Digital data availability will facilitate the development of manuscript utilization for literacy and the advancement of cultural knowledge," he said, as quoted by the ministry's official website.

To support these grassroots preservation efforts, the Minister pointed to the Dana Indonesiana (Indonesian Arts and Culture Endowment Fund) as a key financial resource that manuscript communities can access.

The partnership between the Ministry of Culture and Manassa will focus on four strategic pillars to ensure the survival of Indonesia’s written heritage. First, through inventory & digitization, the groups aim to create a unified national database to track and preserve the estimated 150,000 existing documents across the country.

To ensure high-quality care, the capacity building pillar will focus on increasing the number of certified preservation experts by establishing national standards for manuscript handling.

Furthermore, the legal protection initiative will work toward identifying and recommending significant manuscripts to be officially designated as National Cultural Heritage or UNESCO World Heritage items.

Finally, the traditional maintenance pillar will focus on integrating modern conservation techniques with the time-tested traditional methods currently used by local communities, ensuring that these historical records remain in excellent condition for future generations.

"A more systematic and sustainable manuscript rescue effort is needed through cooperation between the government, academics, and the community," the Minister added.

Representing Manassa, Chairman Agus Iswanto confirmed the organization's readiness to provide expert recommendations for heritage status, ensuring that Indonesia's written history receives the highest level of state protection. ***