KUCHING: The powerful performance of ‘Manifestasi Seni Puisi: Harapan Kami’ organised by Sarawak Society for the Blind (SSB) Kuching has left its audience overwhelmed.
The said performance which was held in collaboration with the Ministry of Tourism, Creative Industries and Performing Arts (MTCP) and Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka (DBP) Sarawak Branch highlighted the element of music and poetry produced and performed by the visually impaired writers and musicians themselves.
With the amazing and powerful performance that left an impactful message to the audiences, Sarawak Arts Council (MSS) chief executive officer Dayang Mariana Abang Bolhassan expressed her gratitude to SSB and DBP for giving her the opportunity to experience such a memorable performance.
“I feel moved by the performance and the efforts done to make such a performance a success.
“Looking at the performance, I believe that this is an amazing platform for them to showcase their talents,” she said.
This was said when she was met by the New Sarawak Tribune at DBP Sarawak Branch here on Saturday (Feb 18).
Adding on, she stated that with the skills and talent that the performers have, she expressed her interest in further highlighting such artistry done by the people with disabilities (PwD).
“InsyaAllah, with the collaboration with the DBP, we will organise more performances such as this.
“After what I have seen, I encourage more of such events to be organised as it is better that such an impactful performance is shared to everyone,” she said.
Following this, she pointed out that by giving such a platform to the PwDs, it really does complement the social inclusivity pillar as stated in the Post-COVID-19 Development Strategy (PCDS) 2030.
“Despite being disabled, they have poured so much effort into making this a memorable performance. Therefore, I call not only the SSB, but also other PwD associations to come up with events that could highlight their talents.
“If able to, I want to combine all the PwD associations and work together with them and create a huge event and performance for the public to experience.
“As the CEO of MSS, I hope that this matter can be realised because at times, we do overlook these talents that we have that should be highlighted more,” she said.
Meanwhile, the New Sarawak Tribune also had the opportunity to meet Adzohari Jamil who is the project manager of the programme to get his input on the event.
According to him, SSB had taken this brave step to organise this performance all thanks to the allocation given by the MTCP under its ‘Dana Mudahcara Warisan, Kesenian dan Kebudayaan Sarawak’.
“With the allocation given, we were able to collaborate with DBP for today’s performance. I believe that to make an event successful, we have to use whatever resources that we have and utilise them to the fullest.
“Our concept of disability is not an inability. Therefore, it is crucial for us (PwDs) to explore our abilities and make the most out of it,” he said.
Following this, he commended the move of the Premier for putting social inclusivity as one of the pillars in PCDS 2030.
“For me, whether one is abled or disabled, they all should be given the opportunity to showcase what they have.
“That way, they will be able to contribute to the nation’s economy, especially the state’s, in any way possible.
“In whatever we do, we cannot stand alone. That is why inclusivity is important so that we can work together in producing something amazing,” he said.
For the record, the performance saw eight poems being recited and five ‘lagu puisi’ being performed by the visually impaired group.
Furthermore, the said performance was attended by various PwDs and Politeknik Kuching population.
