KUALA LUMPUR: The agreement reached by Malaysia and Indonesia to continue to work together to uplift the status of the Malay language will increase the chances of making it the official Asean international language, says Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka (DBP).
Its chairman Prof Datuk Seri Dr Awang Sariyan said there were about 300 million Malay speakers regioanlly in Indonesia, Brunei, Singapore, Thailand, the Philippines, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Myanmar and Timor Leste.
"Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob's proposal is a continuation of efforts that have been started for decades at the regional level and Indonesia has been a friend in championing the struggle for almost 50 years.
"The effort to unite Asean countries through language means a lot," he said in a statement on Saturday (April 2).
On Friday (April 1), Ismail Sabri said he would continue efforts to uplift the status of the Malay language, Bahasa Melayu, which may become an Asean language one day.
He also said that the two countries had agreed to use Malay at every international conference.
In the meantime, Awang Sariyan said efforts to make Malay the official language of Asean required strong support from all Malay-speaking countries. – Bernama
Already a subscriber? Log in
Get 20% OFF The Star Digital Access
Cancel anytime. Ad-free. Unlimited access with perks.
