DBP Must Strengthen Digitalisation Efforts To Remain Relevant – Ahmad Zahid

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 19 (Bernama) -- Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka (DBP) must intensify its digitalisation of knowledge resources to stay relevant in the digital age, said Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

The government recognises DBP’s efforts, including the JendelaDBP platform, online dictionaries via the Malay Reference and Literature Centre (PRPM), its linguistic portal and other digital initiatives.

“But these efforts must go further. We need to leverage digital technology, artificial intelligence and big data to broaden access to our knowledge.

“We should also collaborate with universities, research centres and libraries not only within the Islamic world but also in the West, so that our voice resonates on the global intellectual stage,” he said at the launch of DBP’s latest encyclopaedias and the appointment ceremony for official translators and editors.

At the event, Ahmad Zahid officiated the release of six new encyclopaedias covering Malay Literature, Marine Fish, Infectious Diseases, Freshwater Fish, Insects, and Nuclear Science.

He urged that these encyclopaedias be integrated into national education, used as references in schools, universities, training institutions and religious learning centres.

“Don’t let these works gather dust on shelves or remain forgotten in mosque cupboards. They must become vital to education, reading culture and daily reference,” he stressed.

Ahmad Zahid pledged to ensure the encyclopaedias are available at all MARA Junior Science Colleges (MRSM) and called on the Education Ministry to follow suit nationwide.

He praised the encyclopaedias as ‘a roadmap of knowledge, a compass guiding civilisation and a mirror reflecting our national identity’.

“Encyclopaedias are a nation’s intellectual infrastructure. They organise verified facts, shield minds from misinformation, as well as open horizons that nurture critical, innovative and wise thinking,” he added.

-- BERNAMA