The Secretariat of the Southeast Asian Literature Council (Mastera) Brunei Darussalam once again has been selected as the host country for the 28th Mastera Conference 2024 and several other activities including the Southeast Asian Literature International Seminar (SAKAT) and Seventh Mastera Literary Awards 2024, said Language and Literature Bureau (DBP) Acting Director Hajah Haireni binti Haji Damit, in her capacity as the acting chairperson of Mastera Brunei Darussalam.
The two-day meeting, held yesterday and continues today at J Hotel in Kampong Kiulap, aims to coordinate and follow up on programmes and projects agreed upon in the previous meeting and improve the programmes and projects lined up for this year and next year.
“Each member country has actively engaged in community literary projects, publishing and translating Mastera projects. It is hoped that the close cooperation among Mastera member countries will support the Mastera strategic plan agreed upon during last year’s conference,” said Hajah Haireni.
“Efforts must be made to ensure collaboration with Mastera’s strategic partners stretches beyond Nusantara as disseminating and popularising Malay and Indonesian literatures is becoming increasingly challenging. Therefore, Mastera must shoulder the responsibility of sustaining the goal of Mastera. Hopefully, we can achieve greater success in fulfilling the functions of the member countries of advancing the regional literary scene,” she added.
The meeting is attended by representatives from Mastera members, DPB Acting Deputy Director Dr Haji Mohd Ali bin Haji Radin as acting deputy chairman of Mastera Brunei Darussalam; Mastera Indonesia expert Dr Agus R Sarjono as representative for the Secretariat of Mastera Indonesia and Mastera Indonesia delegation head; Mastera Malaysia delegation head Roziah binti Mohd Yunus; and Mastera Singapore delegation head Azizah binti Zakaria.
The annual meeting is a regional literary collaboration project between Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand, to bring together the secretariat and literary experts from Mastera member states.
The event aims to discuss and coordinate Mastera’s programmes and projects, and to prepare each country for the 28th Mastera Conference, which is scheduled to be held in the Sultanate this October. – Rokiah Mahmud
