KUCHING: National laureate Datuk Dr Anwar Ridhwan has called for increased efforts in publishing Sarawak folk stories in bilingual formats to strengthen cultural preservation and accessibility.
He said bilingual storybooks, comprising both the original ethnic languages and Malay translations, in addition to the publication of dictionaries, glossaries and word lists of the ethnic and tribal languages, would allow people from other ethnicities and races to appreciate the works.
“That way, we will know the diversity of themes and the richness of the narratives of these tribes, as well as being able to spread it to a wider readership,” he said.
He said this when speaking at the opening ceremony of the Bahasa Jiwa Bangsa Festival at Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka (DBP) Sarawak Branch here today (Feb 15).
Furthermore, he also advocated for the use of bilingualism in publishing modern literary works from ethnic and tribal languages.
He said such initiatives would not only benefit members of the respective ethnic groups but also facilitate cultural exchange among different communities.
“National literature, like the Malay language, is not the exclusive property of a race.
“It is the common property of all Malaysians, meant to naturally blossom within the soul, not because of acts, laws, or the like,” he added.
Meanwhile, he said DBP Sarawak Branch has now published four dictionaries, namely the Melanau Mukah Dictionary, Iban Dictionary, Vaie Dictionary, and Sarawak Malay Dictionary.
It has also published several new word lists including Selakau, Bisaya, Malay Sarawak, Vaie, Kedayan, Melanau Dalat, Melanau Seduan, Tetaw, Kenyah Cebup, Bakong and Narum.
On the Bahasa Jiwa Bangsa Festival, which ran from Feb 13 until yesterday, Anwar said the programme was aimed at strengthening the position of the Malay language in Sarawak, both as a language of communication and as a language of knowledge and a language of unification.
It also aimed to stimulate language and literary activities in Sarawak, thereby indirectly producing a knowledgeable, innovative and creative community through the activities.
