KUALA LUMPUR – The Foreign Ministry will receive an allocation of RM5 million for collaborations with relevant agencies to strengthen Bahasa Malaysia on an international platform, said Finance Minister Datuk Seri Tengku Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz.
Noting that the allotment is meant for the implementation of the Language and Culture Diplomacy Programme under Wisma Putra, he added that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob should be upheld for his usage of the national language at global events.
“(Ismail Sabri) is a role model to all of us as he has proudly delivered a stern message in Bahasa Malaysia on an international stage,” he said when tabling Budget 2023 today.
During the United Nations General Assembly held in New York, the United States last month, Ismail Sabri became the first prime minister to deliver his entire speech in the national language at the largest diplomatic gathering.
Ismail Sabri has been an ardent champion of empowering Bahasa Malaysia, stating that government officials should use the language if official functions are held in countries where the local language is not English or the local populace predominantly speak their own national tongue.
He had also suggested that Bahasa Malaysia be considered as the official Asean language, triggering strong opposition from Indonesian citizens, including a minister, who claimed that Bahasa Indonesia is more widely used than Bahasa Malaysia in Southeast Asia.
Meanwhile, Tengku Zafrul said that the government will also be channelling RM10 million to uphold diverse communities such as the Kadazandusun and Siamese.
“Besides Bahasa Malaysia as the national language, the government also supports efforts to celebrate diversity in Malaysia while preserving other languages and culture at a community level,” he said. – The Vibes, October 7, 2022
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