NEW NATIONAL ART GALLERY ACT TO BE TABLED IN PARLIAMENT - MINISTER

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 7 (Bernama) -- The new National Art Gallery Act will be
tabled in parliament soon to pave the way for the development of the country's
art industry, Information Communication and Culture Minister Dr Rais
Yatim said.

The enactment of the new act had been completed and was now awaiting cabinet
approval prior to its tabling in parliament, he said.

It would replace the existing act which was enacted in 1959 and no longer
practical in current times, he said.

"The meaning of visual art and sculpting has not been defined in the old
act. With the law we can expand the concept of artwork to cover sculpting and
visual
art," he told reporters after attending the opening of an exhibition by painter
Syed Ahmad Jamal Syed Jamil Sahil at the National Art Gallery here.

The exhibition, from today until Jan 31 next year, was opened by King
Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin.

Also present was Queen Tuanku Nur Zahirah.

On the exhibition, titled "Syed Ahmad Jamal: Pelukis" (Syed Ahmad Jamal: The
Painter), Rais said it showcased an invaluable art heritage.

"These are artworks covering decades of Syed Ahmad Jamal's work, from the
50s, on to the 80s and 2008. The National Art Gallery estimated his work to be
worth over RM10 million," he said.

He said 300 pieces of art covering paintings, posters, sculptures, textiles,
sketches, early experiments, photographs of historical significance and Syed
Ahmad Jamal's personal belongings would be on display.

Rais said that the exhibition would not only highlight Syed Ahmad Jamal's
prowess as a painter but also as a teacher, designer, writer, curator and
administrator.

Meanwhile, Rais said the ministry would continue with the efforts to uphold
the Malay language as the national language by publishing more books by new
writers.

The ministry would also encourage non-Malay writers to write books in the
national language to spur the development of the language among the non-Malays,
he said.

"We will also carry out programmes together with the Institute of Language
and Literature and the Education Ministry to re-look into the 'beautiful
language' concept, such as in the use of the Malay prose, pantun and seloka, and
words used to convey meanings in the Malay customs," he said.

Rais said this when asked to comment on the suggestion by Deputy Prime
Minister Muhyiddin Yassin that ministries, state governments and
government agencies carry out language enrichment programmes throughout October,
which has been declared as the National Language Month.

He said that the teaching of the language should be enhanced so that it
could become not only a beautiful language but also a language of knowledge.

-- BERNAMA