Kota Kinabalu: Calligraphy is not only an art form but also a unique way of expressing thoughts and emotions, said Senator Datuk Noraini Idris.
Although not of Chinese descent, she said she understands the significant role of calligraphy in Chinese culture, when closing the Calligraphy Camp for Elementary School Students Year 2024 at SJKC Lok Yuk Likas, here, Sunday.
Delighted to see students actively participating and earnestly learning calligraphy during the camp, Noraini said this was not just an artistic learning experience but also an opportunity for cross-cultural exchange and understanding.
She also said that calligraphy can enhance artistic appreciation and cultivate patience and concentration, hoping the students will continue to cherish their love for calligraphy and apply the knowledge and skills they have learned to their future studies and life.
Calligraphy is not just about writing characters; it is also a practice of the mind, she said. “Chinese calligraphy is not only a writing skill but can also be used as a source of economic income, as it can be commercialised into picture frames, banners, mugs, books and more.”
Urging everyone to share their love for calligraphy with friends and family, she encouraged more people to appreciate this ancient and beautiful art and contribute to the inheritance and promotion of Chinese culture.
Through such cultural exchange activities, she said people can understand each other more deeply, promote cultural harmony, unite and work together for a prosperous future for Malaysia.
Meanwhile, The Association Of Sabah National Type Chinese School Management Committees Chairman Ben Lim expressed his joy in seeing that under the leadership of the Sabah Kota Kinabalu Calligraphy Association, local teachers successfully organised and completed the calligraphy camp.
According to Lim, in last year’s Chinese Carnival calligraphy competition, non-Chinese calligraphy students from the State performed exceptionally well, winning the national championship and third place in the first to third grade categories.
However, he also acknowledged the shortage of teachers in school calligraphy education.
To address this challenge, he said the Sabah United School Boards Federation, in collaboration with the Sabah Kota Kinabalu Calligraphy Association and the State Education Department’s Curriculum Unit, decided to hold a calligraphy teacher training camp in August to improve teachers’ calligraphy teaching skills.
He also called on school boards to respond actively to the calligraphy learning trend by setting up calligraphy classes or practice sessions in schools, giving more students the opportunity to experience the charm of writing Chinese characters with brush pens.
He also encouraged students to remember that while competitions are important, the learning process and spirit are even more crucial.
“Learning and growing through competitions is our common goal,” he said.
Chong Shau Lun, Chairman of the Elementary School Calligraphy Camp Committee and Chairman of the Sabah Kota Kinabalu Calligraphy Association, in his welcoming speech said that the calligraphy camp attracted 100 students from 12 schools, including SK Tebobon.
This was the first time the Kota Kinabalu Calligraphy Association organised an elementary school calligraphy camp, providing a rare opportunity and valuable teaching experience for its members and calligraphy teachers.
He hopes that through this platform, they can do better in the future, helping to improve the region’s calligraphy level and benefiting more students.
Chong also said that during the Chinese New Year, the Kota Kinabalu Calligraphy Association successfully sold 1,000 sets of spring couplets in response to the national campaign of posting couplets in every household, setting a record for the most couplets sold in the history of the Kota Kinabalu area.
This not only helped the Malaysian Calligraphy Association raise RM10,000 but also raised RM10,000 for Chinese schools in the Kota Kinabalu area.
He thanked the local Chinese schools and parents for their enthusiastic support of the sale.
Chong also emphasised that the calligraphy camp was recognised by the Department of Physical Education, Extracurricular Activities, and Arts of the State Education Department, and all attending students could earn PAJSK (Extracurricular Activity) participation points.
Also present were Dexter Lin Ming Guan, Chairman of the Sabah Donglian Zone Kota Kinabalu; Johnny Yong Thau Heung, Chairman of the SJKC Lok Yuk Likas Board; Josie Lai, Permanent Secretary of the State Tourism, Culture and Environment Ministry; Ritchie Kong, Assistant Director of the Sabah Education Department’s Chinese School Management; members of the Sabah Kota Kinabalu Calligraphy Association; and chairpersons, vice-chairpersons, principals, or vice-principals of schools in the Kota Kinabalu and Penampang areas.
After the closing ceremony, Noraini and the guests, led by Principal Chin Lian Hong, also visited the nation’s first calligraphy classroom established last year.
