| Syazwani Hj Rosli |
THE Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports (MCYS) and the Language and Literature Bureau (DBP) will take steps to help market books written by Bruneian authors by encouraging bookstores to display and sell local books.
The Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports YB Pehin Datu Lailaraja Major General (Rtd) Dato Paduka Seri Haji Awang Halbi bin Haji Mohd Yussof, said this on the 8th day of the Legislative Council (LegCo) session yesterday, while responding to concerns raised by YB Pehin Orang Kaya Putera Maharaja Dato Paduka Haji Abdul Ghani bin Pehin Datu Pekerma Dewa Dato Paduka Haji Abdul Rahim about the reluctance of bookstores to promote local books.
The minister fully agreed with the LegCo member that books written by local authors need to be marketed within the local market.
According to him, his ministry and the DBP generally do assist in marketing the local publications. He added that in every book fair organised by DBP, local writers are given space to promote their books.
The minister also added that several activi-ties had been taken for distributing local books to the members of the public through libraries as well as the Bestari centres.
YB Pehin Orang Kaya Putera Maharaja Dato Paduka Haji Abdul Ghani bin Pehin Datu Pekerma Dewa Dato Paduka Haji Paduka Haji Abdul Rahim at the 13th Legislative Council session. – AZROL AZMI
“We will never discourage the works of local authors. Insya Allah, they will be given appropriate areas or space to display their books and hope that we will be able to get good returns for the writers,” he said.
On the issue of assisting the trips of local authors who are invited by stakeholders outside Brunei, the minister said that the authors should refer the matter to their own association.
The association can, in turn, refer such requests to relevant government parties such as DBP or the MCYS.
He said that in most cases, Brunei Ambassadors or High Commissioners send officers to accompany the visitors. “The ministry will give all help to our writers to make use of such opportunities,” he assured.
The minister also spoke of the need of developing a two-way communication system to deal with such matters.
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