By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, Aug 14: Sarawak Head of State (TYT), Tun Pehin Sri Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar, has put forth a proposal for the establishment of a Publishing Foundation (Yayasan Penerbitan) aimed at addressing the challenges faced by local writers in the state.
According to a Sarawak Public Communication Unit (Ukas) news report, Sarawak Writers’ Association (Perpes) president Awang Zaidel Awang Jamel highlighted that only 300 books were published in Sarawak in 2023.
He attributed this low number to several key issues, including a lack of funding and limited access to proper publishing channels.
“Therefore, Tun Pehin Sri Dr Wan Junaidi has proposed the establishment of a Publishing Foundation so that issues related to publishing in Sarawak can be dealt with more efficiently.
“The Sarawak Writers’ Association as a non-governmental organisation (NGO) will hold a meeting with relevant parties to present this proposal and then submit it to the state government,” he was quoted as saying.
Awang Zaidel made these remarks when met by reporters after leading a courtesy call on Wan Junaidi and his wife, Toh Puan Fauziah Mohd Sanusi, at the Astana Negeri Sarawak here yesterday (Aug 13).
The Perpes president went on to say that the Sarawak Governor is also committed to the importance of publishing in the field of writing and hopes that with the establishment of the foundation, fund management will be more effective, preserving aspects of literature and culture in the state for future generations. — DayakDaily
