By Fasiha Khushiri & Tania Matu
KUCHING: Pustaka Negeri Sarawak (State Library) and Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka (DBP) yesterday signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the hope to create a foundation of fellowship that gives the benefit to both sides.
Director-General of Dewan Bahasa Dan Pustaka Malaysia Datuk Abang Sallehuddin Abg Shokeran stated that the plan made by Pustaka Negeri Sarawak is in appropriation with the current need to make it into a modern and pretty Pustaka.
“I am proud with the Pustaka Negeri Sarawak improvement and we should try to bring our own book collection in order to promote Sarawak,” he said during his speech yesterday.
Pustaka Negeri Sarawak and Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka will be working together to promote the fields like Education and research, Development of collections related to Language and literature, publishing and promotion as well as marketing of published products.
This MOU will be signed between both sides and it will be effective on the sealed date which is for five years from now.
Pustaka Negeri Sarawak and Dewan Bahasa Dan Pustaka have worked together in organising activities from 2015 until now.
More than 14 activities and group works were held from 2015 until 2022 in Pustaka Miri, Pustaka Sibu and Pustaka Negeri Sarawak,Kuching.
The Pustaka Negeri Sarawak is working with Dewan Bahasa Dan Pustaka to publish a memoir book that was written by the Pustaka officer itself. This book is expected to be completed at the end of December 2022.
The next activities will be held on November 7 and 8 which is a manuscript purification workshop with professional manuscript writers from Dewan Bahasa Dan Pustaka, Sarawak.
One of the programmes that Pustaka Negeri Sarawak will organise for next year is publishing biblioteraphy books with the Sarawak Education Department together with Dewan Bahasa Dan Pustaka Sarawak Branch.
“We must find a new strategy to attract children’s interest to continue reading,” said Abang Sallehuddin during the memorandum of understanding signing ceremony between Pustaka Negeri Sarawak and Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka semalam.
“Build a park for kids to read and recreation place for mothers to rest.
“This MOU is making sure it can be implemented on target, also we have an authority that monitors our planning in the right direction.
“It’s time for us to pick up experience with what we hope we can do to empower our progress in all fields not only in language but also in economy and social,” he added.
