KUCHING: The Sarawak Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry has allocated a Tok Nan Chair scholarship worth RM2.4 million for conducting research on ethnic minorities in the state.
Its minister Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said the three-year study would also highlight the ideas and aspirations of former Sarawak Chief Minister the late Tan Sri Adenan Satem or Tok Nan on the state’s culture, arts and heritage.
“In conjunction with the 2nd International Conference of Social Science, Humanities and Arts 2021 on Oct 27, the state government will ink a Memorandum of Understanding with Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) to begin the research.
“This chair is the first on Tok Nan and UPM has agreed to establish it to get insights into Tok Nan’s interest in the arts, culture and heritage of Sarawak,” he told reporters after paying a courtesy call on Sarawak Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg at Wisma Bapa Malaysia here yesterday.
Also present were Bintulu UPM Faculty of Humanities, Management and Science dean Associate Professor Dr Mohamad Maulana Magiman and Bintulu UPM campus director Associate Professor Dr Shahrul Razid Sarbini.
Abdul Karim said a special gallery would be set up in UPM to showcase the research findings and to serve as a reference centre in the future. – Bernama
