The "Wikikata Competition 2024" has received significant support from the Malaysian National Commission for UNESCO. This competition, implemented by the Wikimedia Community User Group Malaysia and endorsed by the Ministry of Education Malaysia, is funded by the UNESCO Office in Jakarta. The edit-a-thon competition is aimed at enriching the online Malay Language Wiktionary with indigenous vocabulary from the Iban, Kadazandusun and Semai Languages. The competition has seen the participation of 100 students, with 18 students from primary and secondary schools emerging as winners.
The prize-giving ceremony, hosted in Putrajaya, Malaysia on 13 January 2025, was officiated by Mdm. Fadzilah Fadzil, Secretary-General of the Malaysian National Commission for UNESCO. The ceremony was also graced by Ms. Ivonne Kristiani, Senior Global Movement Communications Specialist from the Wikimedia Foundation, representatives from the Ministry of Education Malaysia and representatives from Wikimedia Community User Group Malaysia. Ms. Ana Lomtadze, Programme Specialist for Communication and Information, gave her video-recorded remarks representing UNESCO Office in Jakarta.
Looking ahead, the Malaysian National Commission for UNESCO is committed to furthering the cause of indigenous languages. The commission is actively exploring strategies to empower the usage of these languages in communities located in Malaysian UNESCO sites. Their vision includes developing a cross-sectoral framework that bridges all UNESCO competencies, maximising resources and fostering innovative approaches to language preservation.
