KUCHING: Language and literature plays a crucial role in the development of nation and state empowerment.
Tourism, Creative Industry, and Performing Arts Minister Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said the people must recognise that the strength of a country’s civilization is dependent on the strength of its language and culture.
He explained that this is due to language and literature being the shaper of the nation’s identity and without it, rapid progress in the various fields that the nation has harped on will not yield anything meaningful.
“The state government is always supporting the Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka (DBP) along with other agencies, either financially or morally in order to continue to strive diligently to dignify tourism, creative industries and performing arts in the state of Sarawak.
“Tourism, creative industry, and performing arts are treasures of our nation, for that reason, in our concern and persistence in fostering the country towards a developed country, aspects that are national values cannot be ignored,” he said.
Karim said this in a text speech read by DBP Policy and Research Department director Dr Hazami Jahari at the launching of the Festival Sastera Borneo (FSB) and the Borneo Poetry Recital 2022; and the publishing of Toponimi Lisan Asal Usul Nama book here yesterday (Oct 21).
“We need to increase our willingness to take advantage of all past results or creations in the field of technology at an immediate rate so that we can continue our efforts to enhance physical, mental and spiritual development for progress of the nation and state,” added Karim.
The event themed ‘Empowerment of Tourism through Literature’ organised by Badan Keluarga DBP Sarawak in collaboration with DBP through the Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry’s Dana Geran Sepadan Sektor Kebudayaan (GSSK).
