Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka Brunei


Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka Brunei, abbreviated as DBP, sometimes known in English as the Language and Literature Bureau, is a government body which oversees the use of the Malay language and Malay-language literature in Brunei, as well as the operator of public libraries in the country. Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka Brunei is a government department under the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports. The head of Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka Brunei is a Pengarah, and the incumbent is Awang Suip bin Haji Abdul Wahab.

History

Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka Brunei was established on 19 April 1960 as Lembaga Bahasa or the Language Board. However, it was later renamed to Bahagian Bahasa dan Pustaka in 1962. At the time it was established under the authority of Jabatan Pelajaran or the Department of Education, the predecessor to the Ministry of Education. On 1 January 1965, it was made into a separate department and eventually adopted its current name. In 1984, Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka Brunei was subsumed under the authority of the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports.

Dictionary and other publications

Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka Brunei publishes Kamus Bahasa Melayu Brunei, the official dictionary of the Brunei Malay language, the de facto lingua franca in Brunei. The dictionary was first published in 1991 and it is currently in its second edition, with entries over 15,000.
The Dewan also publishes four journals, namely Bahasa, Beriga, Pangsura and Undang-Undang Syariah, as well as three magazines, namely Bahana, Juara Pelajar and Mekar.

Public libraries

Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka Brunei operates all public libraries in the country, which include: