SEREMBAN: Efforts to dignify local history needs a clear education policy to allow future generations to understand and appreciate it, said Dewan Negara president Tan Sri Dr Rais Yatim.

He said in this regard, more historians and archaeologists in this country should be recognised as they are crucial in ensuring that the country's history and cultural heritage will continue to be empowered.

"This means we have to provide more scholarships and training to attract students' interest in the field. When we have more experts in these two fields, then education through history will be raised.

"Neglecting history and archaeology is harmful to future generations when the teaching of history is intertwined with bias or prejudice," he said when speaking at the Negeri Sembilan history seminar on 'Development of Negeri Sembilan History'.

Taking Negeri Sembilan as an example, Rais said it is essential to explain the history of the local 'Adat Perpatih' to students, adding that the wisdom and the beauty of the customs should be recultivated by the Yang Dipertuan Besar, ruling chiefs and the state government.

"If you don't (play a role), the constitution in Negeri Sembilan will be static. How will the people understand the customs in this state if customs are not revived?

"If the effort is not empowered starting from now, within the next decade the people will have no idea what it (Adat Perpatih) is and they will start questioning its position," he said.

He added that historians should be honest and have knowledge of history, archaeology and archival.

-- BERNAMA