He said museums across the country are aiming to do this by organising cultural, art and heritage-related programmes and activities.
Aaron urged all Malaysians to take part in these activities which, he said, will promote a better understanding across all communities.
“Malaysians can learn about each other and better appreciate the nation’s rich and diverse cultural and arts heritage,” he said.
The minister, who hails from Sarawak, expects several programmes scheduled to be launched at museums nationwide over the next few months to be able to draw large crowds.
Last year, these museums exceeded expectations by drawing 2.19 million visitors, surpassing the ministry’s target of 1.7 million by almost 30%.
“For this year, the target was set at two million visitors,” he told FMT.
Aaron is confident Malaysia’s museums will surpass its target once again.
He said the unity ministry had prepared a slate of 11 programmes for this year which visitors are bound to find captivating.
They are Citra Nusa@Melaka; Citra Nusa@Festival Hari Muzium Antarabangsa 2024; the International Conference on Kedah’s Ancient History based on Yi Jing’s Records; Citra Nusa@ Magis Belantara 2024; Museum Unity Trail; Bermalam di Muzium (pelajar dan belia); Citra Nusa@Indonesia; Nostalgia Anak Kampung; Citra Nusa@Muzium Adat; Citra Nusa@Muzium Arkeologi Lembah Bujang and Citra Nusa@Muzium Kayang.
He said the country has been blessed with a rich arts and cultural heritage, thanks to governmental policies that encourage racial integration among the rakyat.
“We are determined not just to keep these programmes going, but to ensure that they are inclusive. This will cultivate a sense of belonging and promote greater understanding among the people” he said.
Aaron said museums are custodians of the country’s common heritage and have been entrusted with collecting and preserving the history, art and culture of the various communities that make up Malaysia.
He said the department of museums Malaysia (JMM) has painstakingly stored various artefacts and specimens for research and educational purposes.
A total of 437,142 collections are housed in museums under its purview.
Of the number, 322,923 are archaeological artefacts, while the rest are ontological (37,360) and natural specimens (76,858).