Mission To Upkeep Malay Language, Literature
By Khairunnisa Ibrahim

Bandar Seri Begawan - The Language and Literature Bureau, with the assistance of Southeast Asia Literature Council of Brunei Darussalam and the support of local writers' associations and related nongovernmental organisations, works actively to ensure the continued usage of the Malay language and literature in the country.

One of the projects organised for this purpose is the "Pantaran Sastera", under which several activities have been planned to provide a forum for local and foreign literature enthusiasts to discuss literary matters, said Acting Director of the Language and Literature Bureau, Dayang Aminah Momin, during a talk at the bureau's headquarters yesterday.

The event yesterday featured two guest speakers, Associate Professor Dr Noriah Taslim from Universiti Sains Malaysia and Universiti Brunei Darussalam, senior lecturer Dr Morsidi Muhamad. Dr Noriah, who is also a guest lecturer at UBD, presented her paper titled Memposisikan Wacana Abdullah Tentang Orang Melayu, a critique on the works of Abdullah Abdul Kadir, a. 19th century Malaysian writer, on the Malay people of the time.

The associate professor, who hails from the Malaysian state of Kedah, received a doctorate from Monash University, Australia, for her thesis on "Orality and Literacy, Literary Process and the Structure of Malay Historical Narrative". She is also a renowned specialist in traditional literature, public literature and classical Malay literature and the recipient of the Utusan-Exxon 2005 Literature Award for her article on "Breaking Modernist Hegemony: Post-modernism and New Tendencies in Cultural Studies".

During the latter half of the session yesterday, Dr Morsidi provided a review on the compiled poetic works of native Tutong district writers and discussed their usages of inflection and insinuation in their writing.

The senior lecturer, who is also the head of the Malay Literature Department, Faculty of Literature and Social Science, UBD, is actively engaged in creative writing, short story writing and drama scripts. Some of his works have been published in the print media.

According to Dayang Aminah, the literary gathering represented the project's final activity for this year. The project would commence next year with a literature forum on January 11.

It is hoped that the "Pantaran Sastera" project will nurture values that promote the sharing of knowledge and expertise from local writers and poets. Such dialogues is also aimed at providing the opportunity for the literary society to raise any relevant issues pertaining to Malay literature, thereby raising its impact in the country.

The event yesterday was attended by about 50 local writers, lecturers, educators and students of Malay language and literature. Brunei's distinguished writer, Pengiran Setia Negara Pengiran Mohd Yusof Pengiran Abdul Rahim, who has written and published numerous works under the pen name of Yura Halim, graced the literary gathering. -- Courtesy of The Brunei Times

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