Her Majesty Raja Zarith Sofiah, Queen of Malaysia, was today briefed on the Arts and Culture Mentoring Programme for B40 students at selected schools in and around Kuala Lumpur.
The briefing was held at Istana Bukit Serene in Johor Baru and was presented by the Grand Chamberlain of Istana Negara, Datuk Azuan Effendy Zairakithnaini, together with National Department for Culture and Arts director-general Mohd Amran Mohd Haris.
According to a post on Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar’s official Facebook page, one of the key highlights of the briefing was a detailed explanation of the programme’s concept, which was inspired by the Queen’s noble vision.
The initiative aims to expose students from B40 households to career opportunities in the arts by connecting them with prominent activists and artists in the industry.
“It also serves as a platform to identify future talents and provide meaningful content that can help steer students away from social ills,” the post said.
In the same post, Datuk Azuan Effendy expressed his appreciation to all parties involved, saying every effort was being made to ensure the programme’s success.
He added that Her Majesty’s hands-on involvement in overseeing every stage of planning had motivated the team to give their utmost commitment.
In July last year, Raja Zarith Sofiah had called for greater exposure for secondary school students, particularly those from B40 families, to the arts industry as a way to divert them from negative social influences.
She said such exposure was vital in creating opportunities for students who may not excel academically but demonstrated strong potential in the arts.
