Language and Literature Festival to be held in Tawau

24 April 2025

KOTA KINABALU: Tawau has been selected to host the State Language and Literature Festival (BAHTERA) which will take place on 23 and 24 July 2025 at Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan (SJK) (C) Yuk Chin, Tawau.

The festival will be officiated by the Assistant Minister to the Chief Minister, Datuk Nizam Datuk Seri Panglima Abu Bakar Titingan, who is also Apas State Assemblyman.

The Director of the Sabah Branch of the Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka (DBP), Jennitah Noordin, stated that BAHTERA is a programme being held for the first time by DBP in collaboration with the Tawau District Education Office and several agencies in the area.

“This festival serves as a platform for language enthusiasts, literature lovers, students, and the general public to recognise and delve into the uniqueness of language and literary works that are part of our cultural heritage,” she said during a courtesy visit to Nizam at his office in Menara Kinabalu on Thursday.

She added that the festival aims to elevate the status of the national language as the primary medium of communication and to enrich appreciation for various forms of literary works, including poetry, short stories, novels, and drama.

According to her, BAHTERA will not only serve as a platform to promote local literary works, but also encourage dialogue between cultures and strengthen national identity through the appreciation of language and the arts.

Activities throughout the festival will include "Jom, Baca dan Warnai" (Let's Read and Colour), “Majalah Dalam Kelas” (Magazine in the Classroom), the State-level 2025 Youth Forum Competition, and the Tawau Book Fair.

Meanwhile, Nizam welcomed Tawau's selection as the host for BAHTERA and emphasised that schools in Tawau often emerge as champions in the State and National Youth Forum Competition.

“With this festival, it is hoped that the younger generation will appreciate language and literature more, thereby ensuring the sustainability of our cultural heritage in the face of modernity.”

“BAHTERA also provides the community with the opportunity to recognise, understand, and appreciate the beauty and importance of local and national literary works,” he said.

Nizam also mentioned that during the festival, he intends to donate books to eight secondary and primary schools within the Apas constituency.