Respect And Accept Malay Language

Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei Darussalam - Malay as the official language of Brunei should be respected and accepted by society, especially younger Bruneians and foreigners residing in the Sultanate, Acting Director of Language and Literature Bureau Hjh Aminah Hj Momin has told The Brunei Times.

Her comments follow her announcement through The Brunei Times yesterday (2009-10-29) that the Language and Literature Bureau is currently drafting proposed legislation to support Malay as the official language, including yet-to-be-specified penalties for people who fall foul of "language abuse" regulations.

In an interview at the Language and Literature Bureau's main building on Monday, Hjh Aminah strongly supported that, as she said,

when something has been included in the constitution as a legislative system of a country, everyone has to abide by it and is not to be argued. '”Why does it (Malay language) have to be argued over when it has been constituted as the official language?" she asked.

Hjh Aminah said that even some Malay parents in the country who have good educational backgrounds tend to speak in a foreign language with their children at home. This, the acting director said, is the opposite of advocating the usage of Malay at home and ultimately could result in the loss of natural communication in their native tongue.

"If they are not trained to speak Malay naturally at an early age, then it will be hard for us to ensure that these children will grow up speaking their mother tongue in the future," she said, adding that it is the younger generation who will play key roles in the nation's future and in preserving the country's culture for generations to come.

Hjh Aminah said that it had been stressed many times that language defines the identity of a society and country.

Being able to communicate in a foreign language is an invaluable knowledge and advantage that one could ever possess, but it should never eclipse the superiority of the nation's official language, she said.

Hjh Aminah cited several countries in Asia, including Japan, China and Indonesia, that she said never compromise in the usage of their language and prioritise communicating in their native tongues.

The acting director added that the same applies to foreigners or expatriates residing and working in Brunei.

"Sometimes we see a foreigner setting up a business in the country, but then display foreign language on their signboards or notices, which is not complying with the set regulations in the Sultanate," she said.

The acting director added that this only serves to weaken the status of Malay as the official language of the country and raises questions from society as to where is Malay positioned in the country.

Therefore, she said, foreigners, let alone Bruneians, must show respect towards the language and abide by the rules in place to support its position as the official language of Brunei. Courtesy of The Brunei Times. (Fitri Shahminan)

Source: http://brudirect.com
Photo: http://brunei-linguistics.blogspot.com

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