Tenggarong, October 25, 2022 — Forum Keroan Bena Basa Kutai (Group of Kutainese Language Cultivation) in collaboration with the Office of Education and Culture of Kutai Kartanegara Regency organized the Festival of Mother Language for Younger (FTBI) in the Kutai Kartanegara Regency at the Hall of SMPN 1 Tenggarong. The main goal of this festival, namely to preserve the Kutai Malay language so that it remains strong and keeps on developing to avoid the extinction. It was officially opened by the Head of the Office of Education and Culture of Kukar Regency, Thauhid Afrilian Noor, S.P., M.Sc. The open ceremony was attended by 150 invitees and students from several sub-districts in Kukar. The number of students who keep the selection up for provincial level were 40 participants. They were elementary school students for poetry and fairy tales competitions as well as junior high school students for poetr and tarsul competition. Those students were very enthusiastic in participating the FTBI event. Sulaiman, S.Pd., M.Pd., the Committee Chairman, and Yudianti Herawati, S.S., M.A., the Coordinator for Language and Literature Development of Regional Ofice for Language In East Kalimantan Province, hoped that this regency level festival become an arena for preserving the Kutai Malay language and selecting the younger to compete in the provincial and national levels. Hopefully, this FTBI event will continue in the following years and do even better.
Translated by Muhammad Erwin Darma