ARAU: The Raja of Perlis, Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin Jamalullail has urged the people of the state to cultivate the habit of reading in their daily lives so that they become knowledgeable individuals who also appreciate the arts.
Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin emphasised the importance of instilling a love of knowledge, especially among the people in Perlis, as knowledge is the foundation for self-development.
“People who read and love knowledge will grow into individuals who are knowledgeable, possess noble character, are devoted to religion, and highly skilled,” the Perlis monarch said when launching the 2025 Art Festival themed ‘Warna dan Rasa’ (Colours and Flavours) at the Simpang Empat branch library, near here today.
Also in attendance was the Raja Perempuan of Perlis, Tuanku Tengku Fauziah Almarhum Tengku Abdul Rashid.
His Royal Highness stated that the culture of knowledge and arts cannot be separated, with arts serving as a creative and effective medium for delivering knowledge and helping the development of creative thinking.
“For example, visual art is used to convey messages, moral values, and current issues, while performing arts like poetry and traditional music contain educational elements and good advice without being distracting,” said Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin.
During the event, he also presented the 2025 Perlis Visual Arts Icon Award to Rosli Mat, 65, better known by his pen name Leemat. Rosli has been active in the visual arts scene for 45 years.
