Greater Incentives For Local Literati
By Rosli Abidin Yahya

Bandar Seri Begawan - The Third Literary Writers Convention (PSB) ended Thursday afternoon with various resolutions taken to elevate Malay literature including a proposal to recognise the contributions of local literati to nation building.

Dyg Aminah bte Hj Momin the organising secretary of the convention said a local award would be thought about to be given to qualified literati whose products are considered valuable to nation building and the country's image worldwide.

She said another resolution taken was for more constructive efforts to ensure the young generation can fully command their national language and literature in the effort to elevate the Malay culture.

"There is also a call for Malay literature to be given the same status as other subjects like science and that students should be given the freedom to choose the subject if they wanted to," said Dyg Aminah.

"Another pledge is, for literary products to be readily made available for the community to read through mass and electronic media as well as to find a marketing strategy so the works of local literary writers can be read by readers at overseas."

She added that a call was made to translate quality works of local literary writers to other languages to enable a wider reading audience.

Budding literary writers will also be given attention so they can be developed into great writers of the future through guidance from their established counterparts and specialists as well as to expose them to good- writing techniques.

Dyg Aminah also said that old manuscripts need to be published for research purposes of literary writers, researchers and undergraduates.

"There are also calls for cultural movements to be formed to elevate literature, the biographies of local literary writers to be updated and circulated in the internet and for text books of secondary schools and higher institutions to be selected based upon nationalism and the thinking culture of Bruneians," she said.

During the three-day event a total of 11 working papers were presented including two keynote addresses from Pg Dato Dr Hj Mohammad bin Pg Hj Abdul Rahman, the Deputy Minister of Education, and Pehin Dato Ustaz Hj Yahya bin Hj Ibrahim.

Other paper presenters include Hj Osman BPSKDSS Hj Mohd Tamin (short stories), Ampuan Dr Hj Brahim Ampuan Hj Tengah (novel), Hj Zainal Ariffin BPKDP Hj Sirat (DBP publications), Hj Jawawi Hj Ahmad (ASTERAWANI Writers Association), Hj Kassim Hj Omar (syair), Hj Moksin Hj Abd Kadir (poems), Prof Madya Dr Hj Hashim Hj Abd Hamid (Literature Empowering Race), Aminah Hj Momin (women's literary contributions) and Hjh Masti Hj Ahmad (drama).

A forum comprising three panellists - Hj Abu Bakar Hj Zainal (acting DBP Director), Dr Hj Morsidi Hj Muhammad and Hj Ahmad Arshad - and chaired by Mohamad Rajap also took place on the final day.

The closing ceremony of the event took place last Thursday afternoon and was officiated by Pehin Dato Paduka Seri Setia Ustaz Hj Awg Badaruddin, the Deputy Minister of Religious Affairs. -- Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin

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