[lg policy] Malaysia: Muhyiddin calls for new wave in usage of Malay language

[Harold Schiffman]

Muhyiddin calls for new wave in usage of Malay language

Posted on July 14, 2012, Saturday

KUALA LUMPUR: Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin on Friday
called for a new wave in the usage of Bahasa Melayu.

He said the Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka (DBP), the only body tasked with
implementing the National Language Policy, should become the trustee
or custodian of the Malay knowledge and literature treasures in the
country.

The DBP should also serve as a one-stop reference centre for
researchers on the Malay knowledge and literature within and outside
the country, said Muhyiddin, who is also the education minister.

“The DBP should step up strategic alliance and synergy with research
centres and universities at home and abroad. The Malay language and
literature research and development should be intensified.

“The setting up of the proposed Malaysian Malay Literature Centre at
the DBP old building could be the initial step to launch this effort,”
he said when launching the DBP Strategic Action Plan 2011-2015, here.

Muhyiddin said the position and role of Bahasa Melayu should not be
restricted to the national level but must go regional and
international, and it should be recognised as an important language of
the world.

DBP should harness the existing infrastructure and mechanism
pertaining to relations and cooperation with other countries, such as
the Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia Language Council (MABBIM),
the Southeast Asia Literary Council (Mastera) and the Malay Language
International Council (MABM), in the effort to raise Bahasa Melayu as
a world language.

He said the launch of the DBP five-year strategic plan could be a
platform to elevate the Malay language and literature to become a core
identity of the people in the march towards a developed country by
2020.

The plan contained a new high-impact initiative, namely, the Language
Audit programme which was not aimed at finding fault with others,
instead helping the government to enhance the use and command of the
national language among civil servants.

The Language Audit, which is set to start next year, will initially
focus on six sectors under National Language Implementation Committee
chaired by him, namely the public service, public places, broadcasting
and communication, finance and banking, trade, and education.

He said the Language Audit in other sectors would be implemented in
the second phase of the programme.

Muhyiddin said the Housing and Local Government Ministry would
implement the Language Audit on billboards, and create a star-rating
scheme among local authorities.

“The Public Service Department has taken a proactive measure by
offering several of its divisions to be audited.

“The Higher Education Ministry has also set a target of widening the
use of Bahasa Melayu at institutions of higher learning while the
Finance Ministry had ordered banks and insurance companies to use the
national language.

“The Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Affairs Ministry has
conducted seminars for businessmen and entrepreneurs.

“I am confident that if such efforts are implemented consistently and
comprehensively involving all government ministries and agencies and
the private sector, Bahasa Melayu will not be marginalised in its
homeland,” he said. -Bernama

Read more: http://www.theborneopost.com/2012/07/14/muhyiddin-calls-for-new-wave-in-usage-of-malay-language/#ixzz20byfnTAq


-- 
**************************************
N.b.: Listing on the lgpolicy-list is merely intended as a service to
its members
and implies neither approval, confirmation nor agreement by the owner
or sponsor of the list as to the veracity of a message's contents.
Members who disagree with a message are encouraged to post a rebuttal,
and to write directly to the original sender of any offensive message.
 A copy of this may be forwarded to this list as well.  (H. Schiffman,
Moderator)

For more information about the lgpolicy-list, go to
https://groups.sas.upenn.edu/mailman/
listinfo/lgpolicy-list
*******************************************

_______________________________________________
This message came to you by way of the lgpolicy-list mailing list
lgpolicy-list at groups.sas.upenn.edu
To manage your subscription unsubscribe, or arrange digest format: https://groups.sas.upenn.edu/mailman/listinfo/lgpolicy-list