By Siti Rohaizah Zainal
TANJUNG MALIM, Dec 21 — Menteri Besar Dato’ Seri Amirudin Shari regards the top accolade he received at the National Book Awards 2023 as a testament to Selangor’s dedication to enhancing literary culture, particularly by translating significant works.
He noted that Selangor has translated over 60 book titles of diverse backgrounds and languages, including through the Inisiatif Buku Darul Ehsan (IBDE), which was established in 2016.
“This is not a personal victory but a recognition for Selangor, which has taken various initiatives to enlighten the people through the translation of great works, discussions, and the organising of book festivals which positively impact readers and publishers.
“In fact, in this term, we began distributing book vouchers to universities in Selangor and the Klang Valley, which will be expanded and enhanced,” Amirudin said during the awards ceremony at the Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris campus today.
During the ceremony, he was bestowed the prestigious Perdana Award: Outstanding Young Leadership in Honouring National Book Development, in recognition of his significant contributions to promoting and enhancing the book culture in Malaysia.
The award was presented by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
Meanwhile, Amirudin said the award will be an impetus for Selangor to continue producing quality literary works by seasoned authors to nurture a well-informed populace with rational thinking skills.
Today’s ceremony also saw the Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Mohd Zuki Ali accorded the Perdana (Premier) Award: Prolific Leadership Figure in Honouring the Nation’s Books by publishing the book titled G.R.E.A.T!.
The National Professors Council was recognised as the Best Strategic Partner in Honouring the National Book Industry, while the National Book Council of Malaysia received the Special Award for Driver of the National Book Industry.
Today’s event also saw the launch of ‘Ensiklopedia: Menyingkap Rahsia Sains dan Teknologi dalam al-Quran’ (Encyclopedia: Unveiling the Secrets of Science and Technology in the Quran) by Muhammad Nazir Mohamed Khalid, which celebrates the intersection of faith and science in literary works.
