KUALA LUMPUR: The winner of this year’s National Literary Award, Tan Sri Johan Jaaffar, has urged creative industry players to allow youths to be bold in expressing themselves.
“I believe one of the ways to revive the creative content industry is to encourage people to be brave, especially in expressing themselves,” said Johan, former Media Prima Bhd chairman and New Straits Times columnist.
He said the younger generation could use the Internet to create innovative forms of art.
At the Malaysia Premier Literary Award here recently, Johan was named a winner in two categories for his autobiography, Jejak Seni Dari Pentas Bangsawan ke Media Prima Bhd (2018), and a play, Pokok (2017).
He recalled the first time he received a literary award through his stage adaptation of Hari-Hari Terakhir Seorang Seniman in 1986.
Based on a novel by Anwar Ridhwan in 1984, the work marked the first honour for the creative adaptations category.
“Through the creation of the category, the board of the awards is encouraging people to make the arts versatile.”
On the current trend in the creative content industry, Johan said the future of creative content seemed bleak.
“It is dying. People are addicted to their gadgets, staying connected via the Internet and the social media.
“People, especially the younger generation, rarely read. Our literature is dying.
“We need to bring back the trend of reading and writing, especially among the younger generation.”
The award-winning theatre director and playwright urged creative industry players to emulate the Korea Creative Content Agency, a one-stop centre of the country’s creative arts industry.
“We need to have a body that governs the arts. This is to ensure the survival of the creative industry over time.
“Without new ideas and support, the creative industry will die,” said Johan, who previously won five literary awards.
His other award-winning works include a short story, Sang Politikus (2001), and a play, Asiah Samiah (2003), which won the 2003 National Literary Award.
Asiah Samiah has been used as a reading material for Malay Literature for Form Six students.
Johan is working on his latest play, Cermin, the third part of his trilogy that includes Pokok and Bangku, which was published in May.
Pokok, directed by award-winning filmmaker U-Wei Saari, was played at the Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka Auditorium here in December last year.