Pustaka Negeri Sarawak opens French Corner for local community

KUCHING (Oct 15): ‘Le Coin Français’ (French Corner) at Pustaka Negeri Sarawak is set to emerge as a source of diverse knowledge in fields dominated by the French, such as the arts.

According to the state library chief executive officer Japri Bujang Masli, various activities are being lined to promote the French Corner to the local community.

“With this French Corner, we will have the privilege to access French films, and of course from time to time, we can invite artists, experts or even speakers from France.

“We will also be able to run physical programmes and even online programmes,” he said in a press conference, held after the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between Pustaka Negeri Sarawak and the Embassy of France in Kuala Lumpur at the state library in Petra Jaya here yesterday.

It is learned that the French Corner has around 100 books to begin with, with the number of copies to increase over time.

Meanwhile, Counsellor for Cooperation and Cultural Affairs at the Embassy of France in Kuala Lumpur, Thierry d’Anna, who represented Ambassador of France to Malaysia Axel Cruau, said the French Corner at Pustaka Negeri Sarawak was the third of its kind in the country.

“We have run similar corners in Penang and Kuala Lumpur, where we held cultural events, and of course we are happy to bring them here.

“After this, we will also bring artistic performances, EF Cinema Platform and various knowledge-sharing in business, fashion as well as student exchange programmes here,” he said.

According to d’Anna, the corner also serves as a platform for the exchange of common heritage, while providing opportunities to enhance mutual understanding in the fields of innovation and education.

Meanwhile, Pustaka Negeri Sarawak chairman Datuk Dr Abang Abdul Rauf Abang Zen extended his welcome to France to have further collaborations with Sarawak.

“Towards this end, we will be able to access journals that have been published by the French researchers, for the betterment of Sarawak,” he added.

It is stated that Pustaka Negeri Sarawak was chosen for this programme in view of its environment, digital technology facilities and architectural quality.