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Tuesday, September 9, 2014

After emptying nation's coffers, what next from Umno: CORRUPTION & DEATH OF THE MALAY LANGUAGE?

After emptying nation's coffers, what next from Umno: CORRUPTION & DEATH OF THE MALAY LANGUAGE?
Much hue and cry ensued when Penang state assemblyman for Seri Delima, R.S.N Rayer, was supposed to have uttered seditious words by using the term "celaka UMNO."
Malaysians of all walks of life were unamused, thinking rightly or wrongly, that the assemblyman was being mischievous, out-of-line and hitting below the belt. But is the Malay word "celaka" really tantamount to being so serious that it can be construed as being seditious?
If people look at the plain Malay language as espoused by the staid Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka, long the self-styled custodian of the Malay language in this country, then, the word "celaka" when translated into the globally understood English language will mean "nuisance."
Therefore, before we chastise Mr Rayer, it is important to know whether a public official calling a political organization and labelling it as being a nuisance really can be construed by the laws of the land as being seditious.
In all probability, Malaysian law officials have jumped the gun and may have been a might too quick to try and "fix" Mr Rayer.
Perhaps what really is seditious must be given a re-think in this country. If plain, simple speech can be construed as seditious, our politicians, especially those across the opposite divide, will have to keep their mouths completely shut and utter nothing for fear it can be construed as being seditious.
This is why it is high time the Malaysian government look into and give serious thought as to how the Malay language is being corrupted and is beginning to die a slow death.
If left unattended by the powers-that-be, then what is likely to happen in the face of competition from the globalized English language is that the Malay language instead of being strengthened and preserved will die a natural death within a few decades.
Why strengthen the Malay language?
If viewed nationally, the Malay language is widely used and seems to be promoted widely within government, schools, colleges and institutions of higher learning. But the big question is whether the right and proper Malay language is being promoted?
In actual effect, the use of colloquial Malay is in wide use nowadays and there has already emerged a great abuse and corruption of the Malay language.
By right this should not be so as the Barisan Nasional (BN) government has given much emphasis to the promotion and use of Malay at the expense of the English language.
But besides being a language of national interest, the Malay language, albeit maybe in varying forms, is widely spoken and used in the region.
This is why it is important for the BN government to ensure that the language is strengthened and moves are made to protect its use as a regional language.
Besides West and East Malaysia, Southern Thailand, Southern Philippines, Singapore and Indonesia widely use the Malay language in varying forms but it is still understood across the region as Malay.
The Malay archipelago is therefore a rich and vibrant and fertile ground for the Malaysian government to begin initiatives to strengthen the Malay language as economically this can cause the region to grow fast into a powerhouse.
It is really the unifying effect of the Malay language that needs to be emphasised to ensure that this region can pick up greater and wider economic growth.
Malaysia, perhaps, stands to gain the most if they play a front-running role in promoting the use of the Malay language across the region.
If Malaysia fails to do so, it will only have to pay the price for not being foresightful and thinking long term into the future.
The domestic role of the Malay language
Just like charity begins at home, Malay language experts in the country need to go to the ground to secure the language.
The Malay language at present suffers from a great abuse and the corruption of being "anglicised" by words from the English language.
It is really imperative that this stops as it is making the Malay language look like a hybrid language and a far cry from being original and authentic.
The "borrowing" and use of English words to fill in the gaps that has been caused by the failure of the Malay language not evolving should be blamed squarely on the failure of Malay language scholars for not being up to the mark.
The Malay language has failed to evolve because Malay scholars have not kept abreast with developments in the world and have opted for the lazy way of corrupting the language by just twisting and turning English words as a replacement for a word not found in the Malay language.
This is why students beginning school or new learners of the Malay language are introduced to an uncomfortable syllabus wherewith learning the language becomes cumbersome and confusing.
This translates and results in the younger generation having command of a form of Malay language that is both awkward and a sheer corruption of the original Malay language.
This is why besides Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka, other organizations with vested interests in promoting the Malay language must come forward and band together in a concerted way that the Malay language can be understood and used appropriately by all those wishing to use it.
There are a lot of issues to clear and it is envisaged that these organizations have their work already cut out for them, and if they fail to pay heed to the direction the Malay language is going now, it will spell the death of the language in the near future.
Efforts to consolidate must begin now
If the Malay language is to last any longer and grow and strengthen, efforts to consolidate the role that the language plays in the region must begin now.
There is certainly no more time to waste and concerned groups, organizations and individuals must come together with the government to draw up a master plan or long term strategy with the thrust and aim of promoting the right and proper use of the language not only in this country but also in the region.
Malaysia must be willing to play the leading role and go to the ground to get the right and proper Malay language launched for all the people in this region to use with confidence.
The country stands to gain enormously not only in the short term but is expected to reap huge dividends in economic growth for the future.
By getting the right Malay language off the ground, by working together with others to promote its use, there is that every possibility that the Malay language stands to grow as among the leading and widely used languages in the world.
The ball, as they say, is at the government's feet and it is up to the BN government to rein in all the stakeholders and venture forth to give the Malay language the right boost and shot in the arm.
If they fail to do so, it will not only spell the further corruption of the Malay language but its untimely death.
Time for the BN government to work to arrest the rot and come up with a more refreshingly appealing, succinct and correct Malay language for all to appreciate and enjoy. - Malaysia Chronicle

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