KUALA LUMPUR: The National Language Decade (DBK) and National Reading Decade (DMK) Carnival highlighted Malay-language digital content as an effort to revitalise the national language and reading culture of the community.
Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka (DBP) director-general, Dr Hazami Jahari, said that transferring literary works to the screen through the text adaptation process is one of the efforts to spread literary works to the public through digital platforms.
“In the context of the creative industries, we can be proud of local animation productions, such as Ejen Ali, Upin and Ipin, Boboiboy and Mechamato, which serve as a vehicle for learning Malay for non-native speakers, thus providing a positive indicator of local content gaining a place among the world’s citizens.
“Apart from that, there are also some materials from short stories, poems and novels which have been adapted into telemovies, dramas and children’s animation,” he told Bernama yesterday.
He said that, among the materials which had been adapted into the creative industry, were the poem ‘Sesekali’ by Zaleha M Hashim; the novels ‘Kemboja di Hati’ by Ramlah Rashid and ‘Capa Rengat Gulai Rawo’ by Baharuddin Kahar; and the animation ‘Rara Riri’, which had become an icon for children’s and youth literature.
The three-day DBK and DMK carnival, from Oct 25 to 27, was held in collaboration with Multimedia University, with the theme, ‘Celebrating the Creative Industries’, with various interesting programmes including forums related to animation, workshops and so on.
It was also held nationwide, with the involvement of various parties, such as non-governmental organisations (NGOs), several government agencies and ministries.
Hazami said that a detailed plan had been drawn up in an effort to empower the national language and further improve the practice of reading culture, with the aim of making the national language the language of knowledge and economics, in the period from 2020 to 2030.
“Meanwhile for DMK, we are aiming towards improving the quality of reading, the quality of materials, and access to reading through various channels, by providing conventional books as well as more digital forms which are easily accessible anywhere,” he said.
He said that, in general, the percentage rate of interest in reading among the community in this country did not show any drastic change following the development of technology, because materials could be obtained on mobile phones, no longer only manually.
He added that DBP was given the responsibility to lead various activities to encourage and instil an interest in reading, which is extended to various levels of society.
“We hope that this carnival succeeds in achieving its goal; to boost the community’s love for the Malay language, and to strengthen and reinvigorate their confidence in the ability and potential of the national language as a language of knowledge, a language of high culture and a language of social communication.
“Apart from that, it will empower the national language at the international level, and foster an interest in reading and supporting lifelong learning, towards creating a society with a culture of reading and love for knowledge,” he said.
The National Language Decade 2020 to 2030 or DBK is a rebranding of the National Language Month (BBK), and a continuation of the various national language and literature campaigns, held since the 1960s, under the Ministry of Education (MOE). Currently, DBP’s digital publishing products are sold through DBP’s digital platform, namely JendelaDBP, and from its development in May 2021 until May 1, 2023, JendelaDBP has been accessed by 3,114,992 browsers from 147 countries.
JendelaDBP is one of the agency’s steps to ensure that its publishing products reach audiences not only locally, but also in the international community.
Efforts to market DBP’s products internationally can indirectly increase DBP’s income, and currently, in addition to books, digital magazines are also gaining a place among people who prefer digital reading.– BERNAMA
