ASAJAYA: Rural communities in Samarahan Division now have easier access to books and reading materials with the launch of a new village library in Kampung Tambirat, Asajaya, aimed at nurturing a stronger reading culture among children living far from urban centres.
Perpustakaan Desa Kampung Tambirat was officiated today by Minister for Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts, Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, who said a library, regardless of its size, could shape young minds in ways that mattered far beyond its physical scale.
He drew a comparison to Baitul Hikmah, the historic library in Baghdad that became a centre of learning during the Islamic Golden Age, producing scholars such as Al-Khawarizmi, regarded as the father of algebra, and Ibnu Sina.
“A library does not change the world, but it shapes people, and it is people who will go on to change the world,” he said in his speech.
Abdul Karim, who is also the Asajaya state assemblyman, said civilisations were not built on grand buildings alone, but by societies that valued knowledge, adding that the same spirit underpinned the newly opened library despite its modest size.
Touching on the rise of artificial intelligence, he said technology could accelerate development but could not replace values, stressing that knowledge must remain the guiding force behind AI rather than the other way around.
He cited the Sarawak Post COVID-19 Development Strategy 2030 push to widen access to higher education, including the establishment of five state-owned institutions of higher learning, with fees for eligible Sarawakian students covered under the state’s Free Tertiary Education Scheme (FTES).
Abdul Karim also urged parents in rural areas to encourage their children to read more, noting that many households readily spent on gadgets for their children but hesitated over the comparatively lower cost of books.
