Kota Kinabalu: The Sabah Government is targeting to establish Kota Kinabalu as a literary city while positioning the State as a regional arts hub.
State Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Datuk Dr Mohd Arifin Mohd Arif said the initiative will be realised with support from Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka (DBP) and various stakeholders, with the goal of making Sabah a regional reference point for literature and language.
“I am confident that through the programs being implemented in Sabah, the State will become one of the regional references in the field of literature and language,” he said at the Wacana Puisi Esei 2025 closing ceremony, here, Friday.
window.googletag = window.googletag || {cmd: []};googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.defineSlot('/22826383987/dailyexpress_inline', [1, 1], 'gpt-passback').addService(googletag.pubads());googletag.enableServices();googletag.display('gpt-passback');});Arifin said numerous major programs have been conducted across Sabah, including in his Membakut constituency, involving secondary school students.
He described these efforts as excellent initiatives to bring communities, particularly students, closer to language and literary values.
He expressed optimism that the dream can be realised with assistance from DBP, Badan Bahasa, Institut Penilaian Sabah and literature and language-related non-governmental organisations.
He noted that the initiative aligns with efforts to establish Sabah as a destination for educational tourism, language tourism and literary tourism, citing the presence of participants from Brunei, Singapore, Indonesia and various Malaysian states as evidence of Sabah’s potential as a regional focal point.
The ceremony also saw Arifin presenting awards to winners of the Sayembara Menulis Puisi Esei 2025 and Anugerah Kemanusiaan Puisi Esei 2025.