Bandar Seri Begawan - The Language and Literature Bureau yesterday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the publication of 17 books by 14 local authors in the bureau's continuous effort to promote the development of Malay language in the country.

Hjh Aminah Hj Momin, acting director of the Language and Literature Bureau says that their goal of publishing 100 titles a year is achievable and this year, that target might even be increased with the publication of educational books, mainly in the field of the country's sociocultural values.

"This bureau is the biggest publisher in the country and we will be constantly publishing various types of books in our bid to elevate the function and role that this bureau was established for, mainly in strengthening Malay language as the official language of this country through publications," she said.

She added that they have also been working to publish comic books or cartoons by potential writers with the main objective of encouraging all levels of the community to have an interest in reading, even more so light reading that could assist in cultivating a reading culture in the country.

"The biggest example of this is in Japan, where they have published hundreds of comics, such as Doraemon and Naruto which have been widely received among the community. Such publications have become so popular that they have also been translated into Malay," she said, adding that the average Japanese individual can identify their culture through such comics because its story lines are brief but effective in getting the message across.

Hjh Aminah went on to say that in this country as well, there is never a lack of material to make a comic from, such as stories of Malay warriors, history or culture.

"With the existence of such comics, it will support fellow students, particularly those studying history to understand the background of this country," she said, adding that such plans are being created in conjunction with the bureau's Golden Jubilee celebration.

She also expressed her appreciation for the support and cooperation from the authors, for it was because of their contributions which enable the bureau to fulfill its main responsibility in spreading the application and use of Malay in both writing and literature.

She also took the opportunity to mention that the bureau will be publishing two cook books entitled ''Coconut and Kelupis" (an English book) and "Masakan Ummi" on August 17.

The books under yesterday's signing are currently either in the process of final editing or printing. Among the titles include "Biarkan Kami Bernafas" (Loosely translated as Let Us Breath) by Dato paduka Hj Matussin Hj Omar, "Budaya dan Adat Istiadat Dalam Kesusasteraan Brunei" (Culture and Customs in Brunei's Malay Literature) by Pg Dr Hidop Pg Hj Samsuddin and "Kasih Yang Hilang" (Lost Love) by Abdul Aziz Hj Hamdan.

-- Courtesy of Brunei Times

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