Nothing Matches Power Of Poetry
By Rosli Abidin Yahya

Bandar Seri Begawan - Literature played a role in the independence of many nations through peaceful means where literary writers penned down their feelings for freedom and sovereignty.

Pehin Dato Ustaz Hj Awg Yahya Hj Ibrahim, the Deputy Minister of Religious Affairs, said the works of arts of literary writers did influence readers and colonists, which initiated the roads to freedom.

"A poet from Tunisia, Abul-Qasim Asysyabi, regarded foreign power on his land as chains and handcuffs. Abbas Mahmud Al-Aqqad from Egypt was also a poet," he said.

He said, in Indonesia literary writers fought the Dutch colonists through the sharpness of their pens using print media as their war arena.

"Even though colonialism is bad for a nation but the colonists also brought in benefits to the population of the colonised country by introducing printing machines.

"Little did they know, that the very printing machines would be used against them by literary writers in lighting up the fire of nationalism towards freedom and self-rule," he said.

Pehin Dato Ustaz Hj Awg Yahya was delivering his keynote address at a Brunei Poem Seminar, which was held for two days until Saturday at the Yayasan Sultan Hj Hassanal Bolkiah Complex in the capital.

He said the contribution of Indonesian poets from 1945 towards the independence of their country was immense.

"The literary writers of Indonesia fought a different kind of war towards independence alongside the martyrs," he said.

Attended by more than 200 people, the seminar scrutinised the contribution of poets towards Brunei independence.

Organiser Brunei National Writers Association said more seminars will follow to scrutinise the contribution of literary writers in other genres such as novels and short stories towards the independence of Brunei.

Many said the contribution of local writers in the genre of novels such as the first novel writer of Brunei Darussalam, the late HM Salleh, should not be forgotten.

HM Salleh's novel, Pemimpin Tunangan Bangsa (Leaders Are the Fiancees of People), was banned by the British who regarded the book as anti-colonial. -- Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin

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