Photo: Harian Metro
We love anything free, but this man’s free museum may have gotten a little bit too much love.
Nordin Ali, 81, owns the private mini-museum “Rumahku Muziumku” in Malacca. This free museum was created with the sole intention of showcasing the antique pieces he owned. However, the plan backfired when visitors to the museum kept stealing his antiques.
According to Harian Metro, Nordin said the antiques kept getting stolen because they were openly displayed and that both he and his wife, Maznah Ali, 60, are not completely able to catch the thieves in action due to a number of health issues - which is understandable, given their age.
Among the stolen items were two 100-year old keris, ancient knives, old Malaysian coins and notes, as well as an ancient lock from China. A quick check found that a copper manicure bowl and an antique iron which were also stolen from Nordin’s collection were being sold online!
Photo: Mothership SG
Nordin started collecting antiques at the age of 15, taking after his late father. His collection slowly increased to include historical artefacts from all over the world, including China, Portugal, England, Japan, the Netherlands and Indonesia. At times, he even spent a considerable sum just to buy these artefacts from the original owners. In 2002, he opened “Rumahku Muziumku”, showing off his huge collection of over 2, 500 artefacts (some of which date back to the 18th century).
He had initially lodged a police report on 21st September, but “... because of the incident, I have resolved to shut down the place from public’s viewing to avoid it from repeating,” he said.
It is devastating that people took advantage of something that was made to benefit the community. We sure hope those thieves will be caught!
