KUALA LUMPUR: The cultural discourse ‘Kongres Budaya 2017’ to be officiated by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) today is a significant event.
Held 46 years after the inaugural congress officiated by Najib’s late father Tun Abdul Razak Hussein on 16 Aug, 1971, the second prime minister’s vision remained the core of the national culture vision now further invigorated by Najib.
Though more than four decades have passed since the first congress, right from the start, the idea of a national culture has been mired in identity crisis.
Realising the need to get the national culture vision back on the right track, the Socio-Cultural Adviser to the Government Tan Sri Dr Rais Yatim proposed the rebirth of the cultural discourse through Kongres Budaya 2017.
Rais noted that the second congress, after a hiatus of more than four decades, was timely as the once esteemed culture and norms of the people were no longer seen as the fundamental value of the society.
Rais also stated a balance between physical development and cultural values to create a Malaysian race with distinct identity.
“Malaysians and the Malays especially have been influenced by the foreign way of life,” he said in his speech to set the tone at the pre-congress discourse ‘Budaya Tinggi 2017’ with the theme ‘Pembudayaan Tamadun Tinggi Dalam Transformasi Nasional 2050 (TN50)’ at the Malay Studies Academy, Universiti Malaya on April 4.
Though it is undeniable the Western Way of Life is useful in development, economy, legal spheres, and science and technology, Rais noted the values of the society nowadays were very much influenced by social media.
“Unfortunately, the foreign influences have changed the way we think and live, and have eroded our own values and culture,” he said.
Hence, he said, the Kongres Budaya 2017 is timely so that the TN50 vision is achieved through new collective principles and actions that contribute towards national attributes based on the Rukun Negara (national principles) and Constitution.
On the run-up to tomorrow’s congress, six pre-congress discourse have been held throughout March that touched on enhancing the position of the Malay language, the scope for heritage and cultural studies at the Higher Education Institutions, the Malay heritage and institutions, and the creative content industry and the Bumiputera economic culture.
Meanwhile, former chairman of Media Prima Bhd Tan Sri Johan Jaaffar noted if the spirit of Rukun Negara is inculcated right from the school, it would be much easier to attain the TN50 vision of Najib.
Therefore, tomorrow’s congress serves as a benchmark to ensure the TN50 vision is in line with the goal of creating a highly resilient and cultured society, he said in his keynote address at the ‘Wacana Warisan Budaya dan Industri Kandungan Kreatif’ conference organised by the International Centre for Islamic Culture, International Islamic Universiti Malaysia on March 23.
This same view was echoed by Kongres Budaya 2017 host, UKM’s vice-chancellor Professor Datuk Seri Dr Noor Azlan Ghazali who is confident that congress would be the starting point for subsequent efforts in creating a Malaysian society that is distinct in its identity and highly civilised. — Bernama