As Malaysians, it’s imperative to be converse and write fluently in Malay as it’s the cornerstone of the Malaysian identity. Unfortunately, not everyone is proficient in the national language.
To address this issue, prime minister Anwar Ibrahim has proposed a rather bold move to help increase the level of proficiency among Malaysians when it comes to writing letters in Malay.
Letters not written in Malay mustn’t be accepted by govt departments
In his speech at the launching of the the National Language Decade Carnival and National Reading Decade today, Anwar said government departments and offices mustn’t entertain letters which aren’t written in Malay.
This includes letters written by local companies and universities, which will be returned to the sender if it’s found not to be written in the national language.
Anwar added that this is necessary to empower the national language’s culture as it’s a vital part of nation building.
Sometimes, there is confusion. Of course we stress on the use of English Language for trading but some civil servants including in universities and private sectors have distorted from that path, forgotten and neglected the basics.
“When communicating with government offices, it should be done in Malay,” he said as quoted by NST.
Not meant to look down on other languages
Anwar reiterated that the move wasn’t intended to disparage other languages, but rather to serve as a reminder to fortify the Malay language as part of nation building.
“If Malaysians want to soar higher and discover new technologies, they shouldn’t forget their roots. And one of these roots is the national language.
“In Madani, the focus is on empowering the economy including new sectors like technology and digital, but they need to be paired with empowering culture such as the use of the national language.
“As such, I call upon higher education institutions and schools to empower the use of the national language,” he said.
What do you think of Anwar’s statement? Share with us in the comment section!
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