Local Author's Gift, 6 'Tinta Dewata' Copies Donated in Tambunan

25 April 2026

TAMBUNAN: Local author from the interior, Ramlee Jalimin Jainin (RJJ), 67, known by his pen name Tinta Dewata, donated six copies of his works to Sabah State Library Director George Yih Ching Yaw at the recent Gempak Literacy Carnival in Tambunan.

The handover supports efforts to promote reading culture and preserve local writings as intellectual heritage for future generations.

Born in 1959 in Kampung Bayangan, Keningau, Ramlee is a retired teacher with a Diploma in Educational Administration and Legislation (UMS) and a Master's in Management Science (UNITAR).

He began writing in 1979 when his first short story was published in Sabah Times.

Throughout his literary career, he has won accolades including the 2015 Novel Writing Competition and a short story contest by Yayasan Dakwah Islamiah Malaysia with Daily Express.

These achievements cement his role in highlighting Sabah society's perspectives through creative works.

This donation is more than Symbolic , it embodies a writer's enduring fight to amplify local voices amid digital waves and smartphone dominance challenging reading habits.

In a landscape of fleeting information, such works offer a steady, rooted voice, reminding us that stories, values, and identity endure as long as someone writes and others read.

Ultimately, a nation's memory lasts not through technology, but honest, bold, meaningful words left for generations to come.