KUALA LUMPUR – The proposal to upgrade Bahasa Malaysia to a supranational language should not be made an issue seeing it is spoken in several neighbouring countries.
Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka board of governors chairman Prof Datuk Seri Awang Sariyan yesterday said there is an increased chance of elevating Bahasa Malaysia as Asean’s language and improving its international standing with the support of Indonesian President Joko Widodo.
“Indonesia has the most Bahasa Malaysia speakers, also referring to it as Bahasa Indonesia. Both are cognate languages as well,” he told Getaran, The Vibes’ sister portal.
He reiterated that Malaysia’s efforts to encourage the use of its national language should go hand in hand with the regional proposal.
“It is not progressive to assume that related problems at the national level must first be resolved, before moving on to the regional proposal.
“The prime minister’s efforts are a continuation of the regional efforts through the Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia Language Council since 1972 and the Southeast Asian Literary Council in 1995.
“In all regional and international forums, the language is often referred to as Bahasa Melayu-Indonesia.”
On the prime minister’s efforts, Awang said it is not to limit Bahasa Malaysia in the context of the country alone, but as a supranational language in the region.
“What he means is the language is also spoken in Indonesia, Brunei Darussalam, Singapore, Thailand, the Philippines, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Myanmar and Timor Leste.”
Yesterday, Ismail Sabri said Malaysia and Indonesia will continue efforts to uplift the status of Bahasa Malaysia and thanked Widodo for his support.
The prime minister said this at a joint press conference with Widodo after witnessing the signing of a memorandum of understanding on Indonesian domestic helpers. – The Vibes, April 2, 2022
