KUALA LUMPUR: Digital Minister Gobind Singh Deo said digital platforms are key to advancing language and the arts as drivers of national development.
Speaking at a national-level Tamil school theatre competition, he said the Malay language and theatre can promote moral values, critical thinking and innovation, particularly among young people.
“It is a strength. If we look at how things were done previously, events were held in halls. But now we can use the digital platform for this event, I think it will support us as we make our way forward.
“Let it inspire us to use our language and the arts in our country,” he told reporters after the 2025 national-level Tamil School Malay language theatre competition presentation ceremony at Balai Budaya Tun Syed Nasir, Wisma Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka here today.
A total of 800 pupils from 80 Tamil national-type schools across the country participated in the competition. Of these, 47 schools advanced to the screening stage, and the 10 best were selected to compete for the national title.
Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan Tamil (SJKT) Batu Anam in Johor were champions with their performance, entitled “Suara Hati”, winning a challenge trophy and RM5,000 in cash. SJKT Slim River in Perak were runners-up, while SJKT Jalan Lobak, Negeri Sembilan placed third.
Karthik Selva Kumaran, a teacher at SJKT Batu Anam, said he and other teachers spent three months training the pupils in scriptwriting and rehearsing their lines for the competition.
“In terms of the title selection, we really did focus on current issues. We know that AI (artificial intelligence) is developing in our country and the world, so we presented the AI topic in our drama,” he added. – BERNAMA
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