Brunei Darussalam hosted the 28th Session of the Secretariat of the Southeast Asian Literary Council (Mastera) at The Rizqun International Hotel in Gadong yesterday.
The event was officiated by Minister of Development Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Muhammad Juanda bin Haji Abdul Rashid, who is also serving as the Acting Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports. The occasion also marked the 7th Southeast Asian Literary Awards.
The event gathered literary figures from Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore.
Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Muhammad Juanda highlighted the enduring cooperation between Mastera member nations since its establishment 29 years ago. He highlighted the council’s commitment to elevating the Malay literature on the global stage, as well as fostering opportunities for regional authors through translation, publishing and recognition.
Acting Director of Language and Literature Bureau Hajah Haireni binti Haji Damit and Chairperson of Mastera Brunei, meanwhile, expressed her gratitude to the minister for his support.
She also acknowledged the efforts of the Mastera council in strengthening Southeast Asian literary collaboration despite the absence of representatives from Thailand.
One of the highlights of the event was the presentation of the 7th Mastera Literary Awards, recognising those who have made outstanding contributions to the Malay literature.
The recipients included Minister of Religious Affairs Pehin Udana Khatib Dato Paduka Seri Setia Ustaz Haji Awang Badaruddin bin Pengarah Dato Paduka Haji Awang Othman from Brunei, Taufiq Ismail from Indonesia, Dato’ Seri Dr Abdul Samad bin Mohamed Said from Malaysia and Djamal Tukimin from Singapore.
Each awardee received BND3,000, a plaque and a ceremonial woven cloth from the Brunei Government in recognition and support for literary contributions in the region. – Fadley Faisal
