Malaysia And Bangladesh Strengthen Cultural Ties To Deepen Bilateral Relations
Bangladesh High Commissioner to Malaysia, Md Shameem Ahsan, with the Secretary-General of the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture (MOTAC), Datuk Shaharuddin Abu Sohot, during the Bangladesh Festival in Kuala Lumpur on Thursday. Credit : Press Wing, Bangladesh High Commission
KUALA LUMPUR, June 27 (Bernama) -- Malaysia and Bangladesh are enhancing bilateral cultural cooperation to strengthen people-to-people ties, which serve as the cornerstone of their multicultural relationship.
The High Commissioner of Bangladesh to Malaysia, Md Shameem Ahsan, said the initiative aims to foster greater mutual understanding between the two nations, particularly as Malaysia is well known in Bangladesh due to the presence of a large Bangladeshi community.
'I believe cultural festivities can be an important and effective tool to connect communities. Bangladesh and Malaysia enjoy cordial relations and share many similarities, including dietary habits, race, and other aspects,' he said.
bootstrap slideshow
Ahsan added that through dance, music, and other cultural expressions, the festival offered Malaysians an opportunity to appreciate Bangladesh better.
He was speaking after officiating the Bangladesh Festival here today, organised by the High Commission of Bangladesh in Malaysia as a celebration of culture, friendship and unity.
Meanwhile, the Secretary-General of the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture (MOTAC), Datuk Shaharuddin Abu Sohot, said the event reflected the strong ties between the two countries and fostered deeper engagement and understanding.
'Culture and diversity play a vital role in building peace and promoting friendship and inclusion. We offer a platform for Bangladeshis to share their heritage, while enabling Malaysians to experience its richness,' he said.
Shaharuddin said MOTAC would continue collaborating with foreign missions to promote Malaysia's cultural diplomacy, including through the Malaysia Festival to be held in 2026.
'This supports our mission to position Malaysia not only for its natural beauty but also as a vibrant cultural hub. The ministry has a clear mandate to foster cultural exchange and tourism cooperation,' he said.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


New Straits Times
an hour ago
- New Straits Times
#SHOWBIZ: Animated films need more emphasis on story and character
REGARDED as Malaysia's Father of Animation, film historian and animation legend Hassan A Muthalib describes Malaysian films as "not cinematic in terms of narrative and stylistics". While he remains an optimist, he hopes that today's animation gurus focus more on training new animated filmmakers in order for the animation industry to rise. "The animation filmmaker has control over every single frame, unlike the live-action filmmaker. How the director plans everything he sees is dependent on the director's point of view about issues of the day," he said in a recent interview. DYNAMICS Asked where he sees the animation industry 10 years down the road, Hassan said that things would not change much, unless the right film dynamics and the language of cinema are better understood and applied. "Our animated films should be less video-game-like with more stress on story and characters. "The award-winning Latvian film 'Flow' is a good example of how it should be done without fast cuts and incredible camera moves," he said. Hassan admitted that there were always some areas in animation which Malaysians could hardly touch as a result of society's sensitivities. To get around this, he said: "Animation provides an element of fantasy, especially with the use of non-human characters. "Walt Disney has proven it with his animation features from the 1930s to the 1990s. "His philosophy was to create great characters with distinct personalities. "Give them great stories to be acted out." ORANG ASLI One suggestion Hassan has on interesting topics for animated movies is classical Malay literature and Orang Asli folktales. "It's great to explore these, and fantastic stories can be made with the cutting-edge technology we have today. "As far back as 1940 with Disney's 'Fantasia', the ground has already been prepared. "Malaysian-based Japanese filmmaker Yasu Tanaka was the first to do so with his feature film 'Magik'." While censorship is seen as a hindrance to the future development of animated films, Hassan believes that there is a need for it to minimise violence especially in cartoons. "The Censorship Board helps in showing how some things can be overcome. "For example, in 'Pulau' and 'Spilt Gravy On Rice', the films were passed because in the end, it all seemed to be a dream experienced by the protagonist. "However, I was surprised how 'Dongeng Sang Kancil' managed to get through with so much graphic violence, especially since it was aimed at children." Recalling his journey into the industry, Hassan said that he first came to work in Filem Negara Malaysia (FNM) in 1968, and was guided by Anandam Xavier who made Malaysia's first animated short, 'Hikayat Sang Kancil'. "I thought to myself I am never ever going to understand how to do this, but 10 years later, I was making even more complicated camera charts. "I was drawn to his background paintings and it was only when I started making my feature film, 'Silat Legenda' in 1995 that I realised background paintings gave the look of a film." SANG KANCIL Unconsciously, Hassan understood the importance of production design and it played an important role in his next short film, 'Sang Kancil Dan Monyet', in the mid-1980s. "In November 1972, I was assigned to do a Happy Christmas trailer. I discovered that it was not about requiring 24 frames for a second of animation, it was about how fast the animation was and about creating the correct space between drawings." Hassan said that two years later, he came up with his first public service announcement (PSA) about Anti-Hoarding, and in 1979, his controversial 'Nyamuk Aedes PSA' ruffled politicians' feathers. "The talking mosquitoes were very popular with their catchy dialogue, but it was promptly taken off the air because a member of parliament felt that the mosquitoes' leader seemed to parody him." Hassan is the man behind the first anti-dadah trailer in 1979. "Many people were scared stiff by the story of a drug addict who climbs a flight of stairs right into a huge skull's mouth, and turns into a skeleton," he said. JAMALI SHADAT Hassan also collaborated with veteran comedian Datuk Jamali Shadat in a PSA about gas cylinders in 1981. "Esso asked us to make an animated trailer on the do's and don't's of using a gas cylinder. Here's where I roped in Jamali, and he did a fantastic job educating the public with his spontaneous, humorous lecture," he said. Hassan made his first live action PSA in 1983 with 'Keluarga' (Family), and it was shot at University Malaya Medical Centre. "It was the story of a drug addict's parents who awaited the doctor's annoucement following their son's admission to hospital," he said, adding that the PSA won Best Idea at Anugerah Seri Angkasa. IMUDA Hassan's first win for an animated feature film was 'Mat Gelap' in 1990. It was about the adventures of a zany detective played by Datuk Imuda. When asked about his favourite animated shorts by Malaysian filmmakers, Hassan listed Liew Seng Tatt's 'Don't Play Play', Eugene Foo's 'Grey Avenue', Hajar Aznam's 'Ulek Mayang: Spirits Of The Sea' and Ah Loong's 'The 7th Night: Maomao Revisits'. "All four have simple but well-developed stories and are well put across through animation," he said.

Barnama
8 hours ago
- Barnama
MOTAC Committed To Strengthening Arts, Culture Through GSSK - Sec-Gen
TUMPAT, June 27 (Bernama) -- The Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture (MOTAC) has expressed its appreciation for the continued support of arts and heritage associations, in the annual implementation of programmes under the Cultural Sector Support Grant (GSSK) initiative. MOTAC secretary-general Datuk Shaharuddin Abu Sohot said that, in an effort to stimulate arts and cultural activities nationwide, the ministry is committed to supporting arts, culture, and heritage-based associations by covering part of their event organisation costs through the GSSK initiative. 'Hence, I sincerely hope that arts, culture, and heritage associations will continue to support the ministry's efforts in promoting the national arts and culture agenda, outlined under the National Cultural Policy.


The Sun
13 hours ago
- The Sun
Alleycats' David Arumugam seen at local eatery, M'sians starstruck
MALAYSIANs were recently starstruck after a TikTok video of Alleycats frontman, Datuk David Arumugam, casually waiting his turn at a local eatery went viral. The 17-second clip, posted by TikTok user @falyqhikyleyangsebenar, captured the iconic singer standing in line, dressed in black jeans, a simple t-shirt, and his signature afro hairstyle — instantly recognisable to fans of the legendary Malaysian band. The post was captioned, 'Thank you for entertaining us all this time. Wishing you good health always, legend.' The video quickly gained traction, drawing hundreds of comments from netizens who were both delighted and surprised to see the music icon in such an everyday setting. ALSO READ: (Video) Alleycats were big in HK in 70s before finding stardom at home 'Sad... 2000s kids these days don't know who he is. If a bunch of 80s kids were there, they'd definitely swarm him for selfies,' wrote user Vijay D'Cruz. 'A one-of-a-kind legend — a golden voice loved by all Malaysians. Most Indian singers who perform Malay songs end up becoming stars. Wishing you good health always, Dato' David Arumugam,' another user commented. 'I once bumped into him in PJ. Someone called him and his ringtone was 'Hadiran Ombak Membelai Pantai', a song from Suara Kekasih. That's when I knew — it had to be David Arumugam. Go ahead, try calling him, bro,' shared Keris Pujangga.