Fatimah: All must do part to preserve one’s culture, heritage
SIBU: It is the responsibility of everyone to preserve their culture and heritage, says Minister of Welfare, Women, Community Well Being, Family and Childhood Development Dato Sri Fatimah Abdullah.
She said: “Our precious culture and heritage are our identity. That is why we should not let them fade with the passage of time.”
Fatimah was speaking at the closing ceremony of the Malay-Melanau BCF 2018 Pavilion here on Wednesday night.
Sibu Municipal Council deputy chairperson Rogayah Jamain, a political secretary to chief minister Abu Seman Jahwie and Sibu Melanau Association chairman Mohd Anis Ili were also present.
According to Fatimah, there is a Malay village in Sri Lanka whose residents no longer speak Malay because they have been using local dialects for a very long time
“As a result of no effort being done to uphold their mother tongue, the language is no longer relevant to them.”
As such, she deemed the BCF as a good way to preserve and promote the local cultures and traditions.
On a related subject, Fatimah said that Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka (DBP) has produced a Melanau dictionary to ensure that the Melanau language will not go into extinction.
“Language is important because it identifies one’s race,” she told those present, urging them to also preserve their costumes, traditional dances, handicraft, games food and so on.
“And, hopefully, all these can be documented for posterity,” she added.