Use of national language in official letters to govt in line with Federal Constitution, says Senator

KUALA LUMPUR: The use of the national language for correspondence in government offices is in line with the provision in Article 152 (6) of the Federal Constitution, which emphasises the role of Bahasa Melayu as the official language in the three levels of administration in the country.

Senator Prof Datuk Seri Awang Sariyan explained that the three levels referred to the federal government, the state governments and the public authorities.

However, he is of the view that the implementation of Article 152(6) is not yet satisfactory.

"After 66 years of independence, there are still ministries, departments and agencies that do not give priority to Bahasa Melayu in official matters, including in meetings, programme and institution branding, as well as in public places.

"The Malay Language Audit Programme conducted by the Dewan Bahasa and Pustaka since 2013 has shown that the problem still exists," he said when contacted by Bernama today.

Awang, who is also the former chairman of the DBP board of governors, believes that the implementation of the directive by the private sector will give a significant boost to the national language policy to ensure that Bahasa Melayu is respected and practised as the official language.

"Negara Kita Tanggungjawab Kita (Our Country, Our Responsibility), which was once used as the theme for the National Day celebrations, means that all sectors in this country must take collective responsibility for the implementation of national policies, including the national language policy.

"In France, for example, the enforcement of the use of the national language extends to the private sector, so some private companies are fined for not prioritising the national language," he said.

Meanwhile, Universiti Malaya Department of Political Science, Public Administration and Development Studies senior lecturer, Dr Mohammad Tawfik Yaakub said that to strengthen the Malay language, initiatives such as rebates or tax deductions can be provided to all stakeholders who support the effort to uphold Bahasa Melayu.

"The government can provide tax deductions or rebates to companies and app developers who use Bahasa Melayu in their materials because most young people want to be appreciated and when this happens, it can encourage them to use the language.

"At the same time, Bahasa Melayu can also be used as a language of knowledge because there are many good works abroad that can be translated into the language, bringing knowledge even closer to young people," he said.

Mohammad Tawfik further said: "Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's fight for the Malay language has never faded because he was a graduate of Malay literature. To me, that fight is manifested into the administration of his government today," he said.

Today Anwar reminded all government departments not to entertain any letters written in a language other than the national language, stating that there is a tendency by some parties to deny the fundamentals of the Federal Constitution which requires them to communicate with government departments in Bahasa Melayu. -Bernama