Malay as Asean official language delusions of grandeur
Published: Feb 12, 2025 6:29 AM
Updated: 9:29 AM
YOURSAY | ‘Wanting this does not gain us respect, nor could it influence Asean to support our goals.’
Make Malay official Asean language or lose influence - UM academics
Bobbyo: Make Malay the official Asean language - what are these professors up to? This is how it works. The chairing of Asean is on a rotation basis between the various members on a yearly basis.
Are we going to see every Asean nation wanting to make their dialect the official language each time they become or take over the chair? This will lead to major confusion between the nations.
Secondly, we are just a nation with a population of 33 million. There are other nations with a bigger population and more of them speak in their language. Don’t they have more rights than us since we are the minority?
Thirdly, we just cannot make any language official without getting the consensus of all the nations involved.
Fourthly, look in the mirror and see the damage the language has done. Malaysian students who graduate with limited knowledge of reading or writing in another language are only exposed to a lower-paying job.
Unless only the government service can provide a better future for those limited citizens. Also, there are limited opportunities for them in the world.
So what are these professors thinking? Not enough to destroy the educational facilities of the Malays, they want to target our Asean neighbours too?
Anony_1601: Two Universiti Malaya academics have called for Bahasa Melayu (BM) to become the official language of Asean as there is a concern it could lose its influence.
What influence, may I ask? Since when?
Where is the evidence of the influence? Do the Indonesians, Thais, Singaporeans, Cambodians and Vietnamese speak BM?
From Standard 1 to Form 6, almost all school subjects are in BM so how does it constitute lower usage?
Communication between public and government staff is in BM, so how does it constitute low usage?
“The low promotion and education levels of BM in several Asean countries also worsen the situation,” the academics said.
What audacity do you have to demand that BM be taught in other Asean countries? Does the education system in Malaysia promote the education of other languages from Asean countries?
For your information, racists in Umno and PAS are demanding vernacular schools to be shut down.
The academics also added that there are variations of BM, such as Bahasa Indonesia and Bahasa Melayu Brunei, and these show cultural richness in the region.
Where is the claim to cultural richness when BM does not even have its own alphabets/characters like other languages such as Chinese, Tamil, or Hindi?
KK Voter: If Malaysia and Malaysians are so rich and powerful, everyone who wants to do business here would want to learn our language to gain an advantage over their rivals.
If this is the situation, then the language will naturally have an influence and grow. It’s a simple fact of life - this is how languages get adopted in a nutshell.
Mind you, I’m not talking about Malaysians needing to learn BM as citizens, everyone should be fluent. I’m referring to these two academics’ delusions of grandeur.
If there is ever to be a standardisation, the reality is that Indonesia, by sheer population size and growing economic influence, will set the standard.
Andersonians: Why does such a request come only when we become the Asean chair? We should just appoint enough translators so at least BM can be heard in all conversations during ministerial and summit meetings.
Wanting BM to be the official Asean language does not gain us any respect, nor could it lead or influence other members to support our goals.
Practically, we seem to be more concerned for the Palestinians than the plight of the Myanmar people, rampant crimes happening along the Thai-Cambodia border or the sea disputes between the Philippines and China.
Merdeka Merdeka Merdeka: The need for a language depends on the demand for it. Where is there a demand for BM in any of the Asean countries?
In Malaysia, isn’t BM spoken by all Malaysians as the national language?
However, you want to promote it as a language for all to speak but you call it after one race, Melayu (Malay)? All the best in promoting your confusion to the rest of Asean.
PurpleRabbit4431: Out of 10 member nations which make up Asean, only Malaysia, Indonesia - with vast differences in the Malay language as well - and Brunei use something similar for BM while the rest of the other members do not use and understand the Malay language.
How could BM be used as an official language for Asean? It seems these two academics have no respect for others and just think for themselves.
All the Asean members use English to communicate with each other. They also use English to communicate with the rest of the world. What can BM do to help them in dealing with international affairs?
Really, I cannot believe UM has such low-grade academics. Shame on you, UM.
George Lourdesamy: With the exception of Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei, the rest of Asean does not speak BM or its derivatives. So how can it become the official language of Asean?
Even in the European Union, all 27 languages are used, although, official communications are in English and French. We should be improving our English language skills.
Countries like Indonesia, Thailand, and Vietnam are doing better in English compared to us. Not to mention Singapore and the Phillippines who are way ahead of us in the learning and usage of English.
Published: Feb 12, 2025 6:29 AM
Updated: 9:29 AM
YOURSAY | ‘Wanting this does not gain us respect, nor could it influence Asean to support our goals.’
Make Malay official Asean language or lose influence - UM academics
Bobbyo: Make Malay the official Asean language - what are these professors up to? This is how it works. The chairing of Asean is on a rotation basis between the various members on a yearly basis.
Are we going to see every Asean nation wanting to make their dialect the official language each time they become or take over the chair? This will lead to major confusion between the nations.
Secondly, we are just a nation with a population of 33 million. There are other nations with a bigger population and more of them speak in their language. Don’t they have more rights than us since we are the minority?
Thirdly, we just cannot make any language official without getting the consensus of all the nations involved.
Fourthly, look in the mirror and see the damage the language has done. Malaysian students who graduate with limited knowledge of reading or writing in another language are only exposed to a lower-paying job.
Unless only the government service can provide a better future for those limited citizens. Also, there are limited opportunities for them in the world.
So what are these professors thinking? Not enough to destroy the educational facilities of the Malays, they want to target our Asean neighbours too?
Anony_1601: Two Universiti Malaya academics have called for Bahasa Melayu (BM) to become the official language of Asean as there is a concern it could lose its influence.
What influence, may I ask? Since when?
Where is the evidence of the influence? Do the Indonesians, Thais, Singaporeans, Cambodians and Vietnamese speak BM?
From Standard 1 to Form 6, almost all school subjects are in BM so how does it constitute lower usage?
Communication between public and government staff is in BM, so how does it constitute low usage?
“The low promotion and education levels of BM in several Asean countries also worsen the situation,” the academics said.
What audacity do you have to demand that BM be taught in other Asean countries? Does the education system in Malaysia promote the education of other languages from Asean countries?
For your information, racists in Umno and PAS are demanding vernacular schools to be shut down.
The academics also added that there are variations of BM, such as Bahasa Indonesia and Bahasa Melayu Brunei, and these show cultural richness in the region.
Where is the claim to cultural richness when BM does not even have its own alphabets/characters like other languages such as Chinese, Tamil, or Hindi?
KK Voter: If Malaysia and Malaysians are so rich and powerful, everyone who wants to do business here would want to learn our language to gain an advantage over their rivals.
If this is the situation, then the language will naturally have an influence and grow. It’s a simple fact of life - this is how languages get adopted in a nutshell.
Mind you, I’m not talking about Malaysians needing to learn BM as citizens, everyone should be fluent. I’m referring to these two academics’ delusions of grandeur.
If there is ever to be a standardisation, the reality is that Indonesia, by sheer population size and growing economic influence, will set the standard.
Andersonians: Why does such a request come only when we become the Asean chair? We should just appoint enough translators so at least BM can be heard in all conversations during ministerial and summit meetings.
Wanting BM to be the official Asean language does not gain us any respect, nor could it lead or influence other members to support our goals.
Practically, we seem to be more concerned for the Palestinians than the plight of the Myanmar people, rampant crimes happening along the Thai-Cambodia border or the sea disputes between the Philippines and China.
Merdeka Merdeka Merdeka: The need for a language depends on the demand for it. Where is there a demand for BM in any of the Asean countries?
In Malaysia, isn’t BM spoken by all Malaysians as the national language?
However, you want to promote it as a language for all to speak but you call it after one race, Melayu (Malay)? All the best in promoting your confusion to the rest of Asean.
PurpleRabbit4431: Out of 10 member nations which make up Asean, only Malaysia, Indonesia - with vast differences in the Malay language as well - and Brunei use something similar for BM while the rest of the other members do not use and understand the Malay language.
How could BM be used as an official language for Asean? It seems these two academics have no respect for others and just think for themselves.
All the Asean members use English to communicate with each other. They also use English to communicate with the rest of the world. What can BM do to help them in dealing with international affairs?
Really, I cannot believe UM has such low-grade academics. Shame on you, UM.
George Lourdesamy: With the exception of Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei, the rest of Asean does not speak BM or its derivatives. So how can it become the official language of Asean?
Even in the European Union, all 27 languages are used, although, official communications are in English and French. We should be improving our English language skills.
Countries like Indonesia, Thailand, and Vietnam are doing better in English compared to us. Not to mention Singapore and the Phillippines who are way ahead of us in the learning and usage of English.
kt comments: Years back, when I was studying in Indonesia, my Indon lecturer confessed to me how he admired Malaysians, because we not only speak, read and converse fluently in English but we could, at any snap of the fingers, think in English. Those were years , it seems, now gone & lost forever for Malaysians
When I hear some of our ministers and diplomats speak English overseas, I want to cringe in shame.
Oct: Malaysia can propose BM as the standard language for Asean. In fact, Malaysia can also propose that Asean must get halal certification for all their restaurants as there are many Malay Muslims in Asean.
Let’s see how Asean countries react to all these proposals. Proposals are one thing, getting accepted is another. It is not up to Malaysia to endorse without a full vote in the council.
Malay Muslim supreme privileges are not acceptable in Asean. Malay Muslims are not the big brother to all Asean countries.
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has no authority to implement any proposal without full endorsement from the Asean council.
Malaysia is the chair country to organise meetings but it is in no position to dictate or endorse any proposals without the full mandate of the council members.
Milshah: I would imagine as Malaysians we should take pride in our national language, not mock or ridicule it. This is quite alarming.
These are the things the National Unity Minister Aaron Ago Dagang needs to look into.
If Malays go their own way, Chinese and Indians go their own way, but all live in Malaysia, where will it lead? We already have 1969 to remind us what happens when racial relations break down.
I urge the minister to look into this. How to inculcate love and pride for the national language and not mock or ridicule it.
FairPlay: Dreams die hard and more often than not, very hard. In 2022, the estimated population of 10 Asean nations was 673 million.
Malaysia’s total population is about 30 million. This is about five percent of the total Asean population.
Would the other nine nations agree to BM as the official Asean language? English might be more neutral and acceptable for all.
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