Brunei hosts regional book publishers' meet

BRUNEI is hosting the Asean Book Publishers Association (ABPA) Executive Meeting today at Orchid Garden Hotel, Berakas.

"The meeting will discuss the ABPA strategic plans especially in verifying tasks and responsibilities of committee in each member country," said Hjh Aminah Hj Momin, director of language and literature bureau during the launching of the Book Fair 2010 yesterday.

The meeting will be attended by representatives from Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand, she said.

Through its participation in the ABPA the bureau, the director explained, would be able to gain knowledge in editorials and publishing because ABPA serves as a platform for exchange of information and sharing sessions.

"The bureau's participation in the meeting can also make the process of information exchange possible as well as putting ideas and views into reality as well as provide training and experts counselling services which could enhance cooperation among member nations,"she said adding that this would benefit Brunei in terms of exposure and knowledge.

According to Hjh Aminah, Brunei has been tasked to handle the Training and Development Committee for two years and had carried out the responsibilities of holding workshops, forums, seminar courses in illustration and publishing.

"From 2009 to 2011, Brunei will be managing the Asean-Wide Readership Committee," she said.

Speaking about the book fair, Hjh Aminah shared that several activities have been arranged which include a seminar which would focus on the topic of translation to be hosted by the Translation Association of Brunei Darussalam.

The seminar is hoped to find a mechanism to boost the number of experts in this field in Brunei. "The bureau as the biggest publisher in the country as well as involved in the international book fair definitely needs English books as much as Malay books to reveal socioculture revelations that is equal to values and philosophies of Melay Islam Beraja (MIB) to the international society," she said.

Hjh Aminah noted that that the book fair has been receiving encouraging responses every year.

She said according to the statistics, the number of people visited the fair has increased from 60,123 in 2008 to 80,889 last year.

This figure, she said, proved that Brunei's society has began to appreciated the importance of books in their daily lives.

"Even if the figure looks minuscule in a population of 400,000 people, it also showed that close to a quarter of the population can beregarded as book lovers," she added.

Yesterday's launching ceremony also witnessed the presentation of prizes to some well-known local writers by Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports Minister Pehin Orang Kaya Setia Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Dr Hj Ahmad Hj Jumat.

Among the recipients were State Mufti Pehin Datu Seri Maharaja Dato Paduka Seri Setia Dr Ustaz Hj Abdul Aziz Juned and Pehin Udana Khatib Dato Paduka Seri Setia Ustaz Hj Badaruddin Pengarah Dato Paduka Hj Othman, Deputy Minister of Religious Affairs.

In conjunction with Brunei Book Fair 2010, a total of 44 book titles published by the Language and Literature Bureau will be launched. This is in line with the bureau's aspiration to publish 100 books every year.

Some 86 local and international exhibitors such as from Canada, Egypt, Singapore, Australia, Thailand and the Philippines are participating in the book fair which carries the theme: "Buku Adalah Masa Depan" (Books are the Future).

The fair will end on March 2. The Brunei Times