DBP taken to court over use of word ‘keling’

KUALA LUMPUR: An Indian Muslim association is seeking a declaration from the High Court over Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka (DBP)’s use of the word “keling” in its Kamus Dewan dictionary. 

Angkatan Pelopor India Muslim Selangor dan Wilayah Persekutuan (APIM) is seeking a declaration that DBP had failed in its statutory role and responsibility in performing its duty for allowing the usage of the word keling defined in various meanings in its dictionary which are as follows: 

(i) keling – rude definition of people originating from South India. 

(ii) keling haram – illustration of someone who makes unnecessary noise.  

(iii) keling mabuk todi – illustration of one who is fond of talking nonsense. 

(iv) keling pelikat – defination of an Indian Muslim. 

The association is also seeking compensation, to be determined by the court for the use of the words which it claimed had embarrassed and humiliated the Indian community in Malaysia. 

The originating summons was filed at 11am at the Special Powers and Appellate Court’s registry through Messr Zulkifli Yong & Co. 

To support the originating summons, APIM chairman Ramli Abdullah had filed an affidavit claiming that on Nov 20, 2002, the association had issued a memorandum on the usage of the word whereby the association believed it had violated the rights of the Indian community as the word keling has been used by the defendant to specifically mean Indian. 

“I also believe that no one has the right to insult, ridicule, as well as to violate the rights through publication, education, telecommunication, advertisements and speeches,” said Ramli. 

He added that a copy of the memorandum was sent to DBP asking the body, with the co-operation of the Education Ministry and the Home Ministry, to ban and drop the usage of the word “keling;” to ban the sale and distribution of DBP’s third edition dictionary; to stop publishing any reading material which implicates the Indians in Malaysia; to drop the word “keling” for villages, tourist destinations, roads and others; and to give reasons why the word cannot be abolished. 

Ramli also claimed that a demand letter had been sent to DBP through its lawyers to discontinue to use the said word. 

He added that up to now DBP had refused to comply with the request. 

“The issue was similar to the one where the Malays were unfairly defined in the Encyclopedia of Britannica sometime ago as the “laziest people in the world” but the definition was removed due to the outcry from the Malay community. 

A copy of the originating summons has yet to be served on the defendant.