Call for Bahasa Melayu to be used as official Asean language
It is about time for Bahasa Melayu to be upheld as the official language at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) level and with an extensive usage in the regional trade interaction.
Pertubuhan Pemikir Agenda Watan Malaysia (Pemikir) working committee member Tan Sri Mohd Yusof Hitam said the government must bring back the importance and prestige of Bahasa Melayu as it seems to be drifting away and lacking behind the other languages.
"I disagree with the suggestion for Bahasa Melayu to be merely used as an intermediate language as the language's role is bigger, and was known as the lingua franca since thousands of years ago," he said.
Therefore the government must be more aggressive in making the language as the official language in Asean, Mohd Yusof was quoted as saying in Berita Harian today.
"This matter was brought up when I was the Asean director-general for six years but was not supported. More saddening, even the locals did not see it as a requirement," he said.
Mohd Yusof said the population of the Asean community of 600 million, with more than 300 million speaking Bahasa Melayu, has proven the need for it to be lifted as the official language.
He felt the government must also be committed to open a Malay institution centre to bring back the glory of the Malay realm civilisation.
"Such a centre in a foreign land will be able to act as a hub to introduce the Malay civilisation to the world," he said.
~News courtesy of The Sun~
It is about time for Bahasa Melayu to be upheld as the official language at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) level and with an extensive usage in the regional trade interaction.
Pertubuhan Pemikir Agenda Watan Malaysia (Pemikir) working committee member Tan Sri Mohd Yusof Hitam said the government must bring back the importance and prestige of Bahasa Melayu as it seems to be drifting away and lacking behind the other languages.
"I disagree with the suggestion for Bahasa Melayu to be merely used as an intermediate language as the language's role is bigger, and was known as the lingua franca since thousands of years ago," he said.
Therefore the government must be more aggressive in making the language as the official language in Asean, Mohd Yusof was quoted as saying in Berita Harian today.
"This matter was brought up when I was the Asean director-general for six years but was not supported. More saddening, even the locals did not see it as a requirement," he said.
Mohd Yusof said the population of the Asean community of 600 million, with more than 300 million speaking Bahasa Melayu, has proven the need for it to be lifted as the official language.
He felt the government must also be committed to open a Malay institution centre to bring back the glory of the Malay realm civilisation.
"Such a centre in a foreign land will be able to act as a hub to introduce the Malay civilisation to the world," he said.
~News courtesy of The Sun~
