Tawau to host state-level Language and Literature Festival
KOTA KINABALU (Apr 24): Tawau has been selected as the host for the state-level 'Festival Bahasa dan Sastera (BAHTERA)'.
The festival will take place on July 23 and 24 at Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan (Cina) Yuk Chin, Tawau and is expected to be officiated by the Assistant Minister to the Chief Minister, Datuk Nizam Abu Bakar Titingan.
Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka (DBP) Sabah branch director Jennitah Noordin said that BAHTERA is a pioneering programme organised by DBP in collaboration with the Tawau District Education Office and several local agencies.
'This festival serves as a platform for language and literature enthusiasts, students and the general public to explore and appreciate the richness of language and literary works that form part of our national heritage,' she said during a courtesy visit to Nizam at his office in Menara Kinabalu on Thursday.
She explained that the festival aims to uphold the national language as the primary medium of communication and to enhance appreciation for various literary forms, including poetry, short stories, novels and drama.
According to her, BAHTERA not only promotes local literary works but also encourages intercultural dialogue and strengthens national identity through the appreciation of language and the arts.
Among the featured activities during the festival are 'Jom, Baca dan Warnai' (Let's read and colour), Majalah Dalam Kelas (In the class magazine), the 2025 Sabah State-level Teen Forum Competition, and the Tawau Book Fair.
Meanwhile, Nizam welcomed the selection of Tawau as the host of BAHTERA, noting that schools in Tawau have consistently emerged as champions in state and national-level Teen Forum Competitions.
'With this festival, we hope the younger generation will develop a greater appreciation for language and literature, thereby ensuring the preservation of cultural heritage amidst modernisation.
'BAHTERA also provides an avenue for the public to discover, understand and value the beauty and significance of both local and national literary works,' he said.
In conjunction with the festival, Nizam also announced his intention to donate books to eight secondary and primary schools within the Apas constituency.
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