HAWANA's Efforts To Elevate Art Of Pantun Should Be Expanded
KUALA LUMPUR, May 9 (Bernama) -- The HAWANA-DBP 2026 Pantun Festival held at the Craft Complex here today received an encouraging response from visitors of various age groups who see the programme as an important platform to elevate the art of pantun (Malay poetry) as a cultural heritage of the nation.
The lively atmosphere that brought together media practitioners, language enthusiasts, and young people proves that traditional arts are still relevant and capable of attracting public attention even in this modern digital era.
Most visitors praised the initiative to organise programmes based on Malay culture and language, which were seen as successfully bringing a different touch to the programmes’ content in conjunction with the National Journalists' Day (HAWANA) 2026 celebration.
RTM programme producer Noriza Ismail said that such programmes should be continued and expanded so that the art of pantun does not fade away with time.
"Through pantun, the way of thinking and the virtues of the Malay community can be highlighted, thus becoming a very good medium to educate society to be more civilised and cultured.
"Nowadays, the younger generation is too exposed to the digital world, so we cannot let them be distracted without a strong language foundation in their daily lives," she said to Bernama when met at the programme.
Noriza, who has been fond of pantun since her school days, said she attended the event to support her friends who participated in the competition.
Bernama news officer Rosemarie Khoo Mohd Sani, on the other hand, believes that the approach to reviving the art of pantun needs to be more creative and fresh so that it remains close to the hearts of the younger generation.
According to her, pantun also has the potential to be highlighted as a cultural tourism product, especially through spontaneous pantun exchanges that can provide a unique experience for foreign tourists.
"Programmes like these need to be increased because pantun is actually very beautiful if we truly appreciate its meaning and linguistic subtleties.
"The selection of the location at the Craft Complex is also very appropriate because, in addition to upholding cultural heritage, it indirectly helps promote local craft products to visitors," she said.
For young visitor, Muhamad Adif Zulhilmi Azman, 18, social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram can be utilised to attract the interest of the younger generation towards the art of pantun.
"If pantun is brought to social media in a fresher and more creative way, I believe more young people will start to be interested. Actually, pantun is not outdated; it just needs to be delivered in a way that resonates more with the current generation," he said.
Muhamad Adif, who originally visited the Craft Complex to see the handicraft exhibition, admitted that he was attracted to participate in the poetry festival after seeing the atmosphere of the competition and the performances of the participants.
"I rarely get to see a live performance of pantun like this. For me, pantun is very unique because we don't just listen to the rhyme, but we need to understand the hidden meaning behind each stanza that is delivered," he said.
Pesta Pantun HAWANA-DBP 2026, organised by the Malaysian National News Agency (Bernama) in collaboration with Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka (DBP), is one of the initial activities leading up to the HAWANA 2026 summit in Penang on June 20, with the theme "Media Integrity Strengthens Credibility."
-- BERNAMA
