NEW DELHI, Jan 18 — Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek has announced the appointment of Dr Hazami Jahari as the new director-general of Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka (DBP) effective today.

Hazami, 55, who is the director of DBP's Policy and Research Department, replaces Datuk Abang Sallehudin Abang Shokeran whose contract expired on Nov 28 last year.

“It is hoped that with the appointment of Dr Hazami, he will be able to lead DBP with a strong commitment to dignify the Malay language and preserve the culture of reading with the determination to continue educating the nation’s children," Fadhlina said through a post on the Facebook page.

The handing over of the appointment letter was done by Fadhlina at her office in Putrajaya and witnessed by the DBP Board of Governors chairman Datuk Seri Dr Awang Sariyan, Education Ministry director-general Datuk Pkharuddin Ghazal and deputy secretary-general of Education Ramzi Mansor.

Hazami told Bernama that he was very grateful for the trust given to hold the position and was determined to ensure that the function and role of DBP could continue to be enhanced in the context of uplifting the country’s language and literature.

“The support of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who loves the Malay language, has inspired me to continue to lead DBP on the right track.

“This is in line with the aspiration to dignify Bahasa Melayu not only at the national level but also at the international level," he said,

According to information from DBP’s official magazine, Dewan Masyarakat, Hazami, who hails from Kuching, Sarawak, holds a Doctor of Philosophy Degree in Literature from Universiti Sains Malaysia and started working at DBP in 1992.

Hazami, who has extensive experience in the field of language and literature, also holds a Master of Arts (Creative and Descriptive Writing) and a Bachelor of Arts (Creative and Descriptive Writing) from Universiti Malaya.

Before taking up the portfolio as director of DBP’s Policy and Research Department in 2021, he was the director of the Language and Literature Dissemination Department (2019), director of the Language and Literature Development Department (2018) and headed the Sarawak Branch of the DBP (2014-2016). — Bernama