The National Language Month (Bulan Bahasa Kebangsaan) has
commenced in October this year, as an annual event under the patronage of Dewan
Bahasa dan Pustaka, the guardian of the Malay Language.
The Director General of DBP, Dr Hj Awang Sariyan in his
recent speech at the official launching of the National Language Month (BBK) in
Tangkak, Johor, said the government has agreed to extend the celebrations until
the end of the year. This clearly shows the concern and commitment on the part
of government to promote the good use of BM among its citizens.
Bahasa Melayu, the official language and national language
of Malaysia since independence should be given due recognition as the sole
national language in the usage by Malaysian society at large.
It is sad to notice although born and breed here, many Malaysian
do not speak the language efficiently and well. The use of bahasa rojak or code switching when speaking bahasa Melayu is
prevalent among speakers of Malay Language, especially the younger generations.
We, as Malaysian should be proud of our national language.
Lackadaisical attitude prevalent among fellow Malaysian towards the BM should
not be excused. The national language should be used extensively and widely in
all the interactions among Malaysians, whether it a public or private
occasions.
In that respect, we should respect the Indonesians for their
patriotism in the use of Bahasa Indonesia widely. I remember last year when my
wife and I checked into a hotel in Lake Toba, we were greeted with ‘Selamat
Sore bapak (Good evening, Sir) not ‘Good evening, sir’ although we were
tourists.
This hardly happens in Malaysia. In most encounters, we are
greeted ‘Good Morning’ or ‘Good evening’ by the receptionist when we check-in
at a local hotel in Malaysia despite the fact that we are Malaysian, who
understand the language well. What’s wrong if the receptionist greet the hotel
quests in Malay, like ‘Selamat datang’ or “Selamat petang’?
The BBK is annual reminder initiated by DBP to the fellow
Malaysian to love the language and use it correctly and with pride in all
occasions, in our interactions with fellow Malaysians. Use of correct language should not be
contemplated during the celebrations only, but rather throughout time. As a Malaysian and a Malay
linguist, I advocate to all Malaysians,
let’s love our own national language, the second mother-tongue.
