PANGKALPINANG — The Literacy Ambassador of Kepulauan Bangka Belitung Province (Babel), Noni Hidayat Arsani, received a visit from the 2026 Language Ambassador who will represent the province in the 2026 National Language Ambassador Selection.
Noni emphasized the importance of understanding regional languages, especially Bangka and Belitung Malay, as part of efforts to preserve the identity of the mother tongue through local literature.
"Of course, as a Language Ambassador, besides Indonesian and foreign languages, understanding local languages, especially Bangka Belitung Malay, is important so that the identity of the mother tongue is not lost and can be promoted," said Noni.
Noni also appreciated the creativity of the Language Ambassadors and expressed her support for Sejuang, Erlangga, and Josephine to compete at the national level.
"The performance is awesome. The locality of Bangka Belitung should be preserved. Of course, I strongly support Sejuang, Erlangga and Josephine to compete at the national level," she said.
Meanwhile, the head of the Provincial Tourism, Culture, Youth, and Sports Office (Disparbudkepora), Eko Kurniawan, stated that his office was ready to collaborate with the Language Office and Language Ambassadors in supporting the preservation of regional languages and culture.
"Disparbudkepora is ready to team up and work together with the Provincial Language Office and Language Ambassadors," he said.
The Head of the Provincial Language Office, Afriyendy Gusti, explained that Sejuang, Erlangga, and Josephine have been selected to compete at the national level.
The participation of the Babel Language Ambassadors is expected to be an opportunity to introduce the identity and local character of Bangka Belitung at the national level.
