Kota Kinabalu: The State Government upholds any effort to strengthen and Jawi writing culture.
Assistant Minister to the Chief Minister, Datuk Ruslan Muharam, said the initiative is vital to ensure Jawi writing will not become a thing of the past.
Ruslan said Jawi writing is part of the country's identity and must be strengthened as a catalyst for unity through art and heritage.
"The development of Jawi writing should always be revived and empowered among the community through various programmes that will be implemented by relevant parties," he said when met after officiating at the Sabah Islamic Literature Regional Award at the Sabah Language and Library Council (DBP) Sabah Branch, here, Sept 21.
Also present were Sabah DBP Director, Aminah Awang Basar, and President of Sabah Language and Literature Association (Bahasa), Datuk Jasni Matlani.
The Sabah Islamic Literature Regional Nadwah which was organised under the Nusantara Islamic Literature and Arts Festival for three days. It was attended by Islamic artists and literary figures from Brunei, Indonesia and Thailand.
Ruslan said Jawi is the art of the nation's heritage and was once the main script of reading and writing in previous communities in the archipelago.
"However, many people, especially the younger generation, do not know how to read or write Jawi script," he said.
