Bandar Seri Begawan - The Brunei History Centre is inviting local syair enthusiasts to participate in the first ever syair-writing contest to mark 25 years of the centre‘s establishment.
Aimed at discovering new talents in history writing, the contest seeks to strengthen national identity and build a spirit of patriotism, according to a‘ press release from the history centre.
Participants are required to produce works focussing on Brunei‘s history and do not go against Melayu Islam Beraja, or the Malay Islamic Monarchy philosophy.
The length of the syair should range between 70 to 90 verses. Participants must in four copies of their work, including the original manuscript.
Application forms can be obtained from the centre‘s front counter during working hours. The closing date of the competition is Saturday, December 31, 2007. The contest is open to citizens and residents of Brunei aged 18 years and above.
The Brunei History Centre, under the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports, was established to conduct research and documentation of the sultanate‘s historical materials for reference and publication.
It is also working to establish a systematic computerised data collection, processing and on-line retrieval systems to facilitate fast and effective usage in the research and study of Brunei‘s history.
Syair is a Malay form of poetry and a tool of communication to express feelings and emotions from one person or group to another.
It was once claimed that syair writing started in the 17th-18th century in Brunei.
Source: www.brudirect.com (13 Agustus 2007)