KOTA KINABALU – The government should prioritise resolving more pressing issues instead of dishing out punitive measures over the supposed disrespect of the national language, said Warisan deputy president Datuk Darell Leiking.
He said the country is currently facing a huge national debt, stagnated development and rising costs of living, so proposed laws on the national language will not resolve such issues.
“What amounts to being disrespectful and who will enforce this so-called law? The use of other languages does not destroy ethnicity or belonging. In fact, other languages can co-exist with Bahasa Malaysia.
“The world is so connected today and English will remain a global communication tool. No one should be ashamed of conversing in English nor does it diminish other languages.”
He said this in response to Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka’s (DBP) board of governors’ chairman Datuk Seri Awang Sariyan, who proposed a fine of up to RM50,000 or jail time after the Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka Act 1959 is amended.
Last month, Leiking, who is the former international trade and industry minister, slammed the Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Mohd Zuki Ali for proposing punitive measures to enforce the use of Bahasa Malaysia in the civil service and government-linked companies.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob in March had also proposed the amendment to the DBP Act to allow the agency to take action against any violations of the national language.
He said all foreign students in the country must learn the language and a circular had also been issued to agencies, ministries and government-linked companies to use Bahasa Malaysia in their programmes.
On May 24, Zuki said the Public Service Department needs to look into corrective and punitive actions that can be imposed on those who deliberately take lightly the Service Circular No 1 2020 on empowering the use of the national language in public service.
Sarawak Premier Tan Sri Abang Johari Openg in early June said the state civil service will continue to use English as its official language along with Bahasa Malaysia.
In 2015, the then Barisan Nasional state government made Bahasa Malaysia the official language for Sabah.
The then communications and multimedia minister Datuk Seri Salleh Said Keruak had said at the time the move would not discourage Sabahans to not speak English or other languages.
“In 1971, the state government submitted an enactment recognising Bahasa Malaysia as the state’s official language and, of course, we’re not the same at all with Sarawak as it has not done so.”
This comes after Sarawak adopted English as one of its official languages in the same year. – The Vibes, June 23, 2022
