Panelists List Ways To Raise Prominence Of Malay Language Panelists

Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei Darussalam - Bruneians lack the confidence that the Malay language can be used to achieve success, said Pehin Jawatan Dalam Seri Maharaja Dato Seri Utama Dr Hj Mohd Jamil Al-Sufri begawan Pehin Udana Khatib Dato Seri Paduka Hj Umar, principal of History Centre last night.

Pehin Dr Hj Mohd Jamil AlSufri said this in RTB live broadcast of the Malay Language special forum in conjuction with the 50 years anniversary of Malay language as the official language in Brunei constitution (1959-2009).

The forum was chaired by Dr Mataim Bakar, and featured two renowned panelists Datin Paduka Hjh Hayati Pehin Orang Kaya Shahbandar Dato Seri Paduka Hj Mohd Salleh, the first Bruneian woman to be appointed Attorney General and Dato` Hj A Aziz Deraman, former Director General Language and Literature Bureau, Malaysia.

Pehin Dr Hj Mohd Jamil AlSufri added “it has been known that graduates in English medium courses have been able to secure top positions and this is an attraction to most. It has been embedded in our mind that studying other languages is stepping stone to achieve their dreams. People are chasing this.”

This confidence crisis was the hot topic discussed at the forum titled: `Malay Language in the Constitution: Journey, Challenges and Hope.`

We must change our way of thinking, he said. “How do we do this?” he asked the audience.

We must educate our youth in Malay language by teaching Malay language at an early age, by putting forward the best of the teachers and lecturers to teach our youth the language and show them that Malay language can take us far, he said. Malay language should be our priority, he said adding that with effort Brunei can overcome the confidence crisis.

Datin Paduka Hjh Hayati, touched on the legal issue of Malay language.

“Is it high time for Brunei to revamp its Malay Language Act, similar to that of Malaysia?” she said elaborating further that Malaysia`s Malay Language Act 1967 provided the basis for conducive application and usage of Malay language.

“A lot of effort has been taken since the beginning to aggrandise the Malay language. This can also be seen in our education system where Malay language is a core subject. The Language and Literature Bureau has also made sure that the Malay Language is in line with the constitution,” she added.

However the efforts are not without challenges.

She said, “Youth nowadays are not interested in learning and mastering the Malay language. This is an issue that we must look into. Why and what did we do wrong?”

Speaking from her own experience, Datin Paduka Hjh Hayati, said “our children have to be given private tuition for Malay language subject especially for examinations.”

“We can also see majority of non-Malay speaking youth speaking fluent Malay compared to Malay speaking youth and getting better results in examinations,” she added.

While it is acceptable to master other languages, what we need to correct now is our perception, said Dato` Hj A Aziz.

“We need to know which language we uphold,” he said.

The former director General said, “We should conjure the feeling of pride and confidence towards the Malay language. The Malay language is a great language, spoken by more than 300 million people.”

He lauded Brunei`s effort in upholding the Malay language. “Brunei has been doing its best to strengthen the position of Malay language,” he said.

Present as guest of honour was Pehin Orang Kaya Setia Pahlawan Dato Seri Sofia Dr Hj Ahmad Hj Jumat, Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports. Also present was Dato Paduka Hj Jemat Hj Ampal, permanent secretary Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports. Rasidah HAB

Source: http://brudirect.com
Photo: http://marinamoniz.wordpress.com

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