Monday, June 04, 2007

it's back to bahasa malaysia

Bahasa Malaysia will again be the official term to be used to refer to the national language. The Cabinet felt that reverting to the term Bahasa Malaysia would help inculcate a sense of belonging for all citizens irrespective of race, said Information Minister Datuk Seri Zainuddin Maidin.

Culture, Arts and Heritage Minister Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim said the move “is to show that the language does not belong to just one race.”

“This is for national unity,” he said.

-- thestar.com.my

Gee, you think?

You know, if we—from a nation that's turning fifty—are still ding-donging about the name of our national language, then how do we expect respect and credibility from the outside world?

While we're on the topic, why are we continually bastardising our beautiful language with ridiculous words such as "ras" (i.e. the translation of "race;" isn't it just disgusting?) when we already have the word "bangsa?"

And why, also, are we not speaking what I'd like to call "proper BM" by way of baku pronunciations? I don't know about you, but running around babbling in bahasa pasar is not my idea of an impressive national identity.

2 comments:

Embi said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Embi said...

This Datuk Seri is also the same person who refused to budge when asked by Dewan Bahasa and Pustaka to change RTM1's tagline "Saluran Infotainmen Anda" because it was not "proper BM". Some time later it was changed, to "Saluran Inforia".

wat laaa...