Policy flip-flops at leaders’ whims and fancies
What does it matter if you can speak two or more languages if you have nothing original to say in any language? – Jarod Kintz, author Our lives – perhaps not for all but certainly for a significant number of us – are going to turn topsy-turvy yet again! All because some politicians and leaders […]
Keeping students proficient in BM
BY UMIE SYAZWANIE MOHD KUCHING: Educationists in Sarawak believe that the proficiency of Bahasa Malaysia among students has declined due to their attitude towards the national language. On June 10, Education Minister Datuk Dr Radzi Jidin said students performed badly in the 2020 Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) Bahasa Malaysia paper compared to 2019. University Malaysia […]
Use Bahasa Melayu at all official functions
Although Bahasa Melayu is the national language of Malaysia and the main medium of communication, not enough effort is being made to uphold the purity of the language at official functions. According to Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka (DBP) director-general Datuk Abang Sallehuddin Abang Shokeran, the use of Bahasa Melayu is still not being prioritised at […]
One-language road sign policy
KUCHING: The Kuching North City Commission (DBKU) will maintain the current policy of using mono-language road signs. DBKU mayor Datuk Junaidi Reduan said the stance was decided during the commission’s full meeting last Monday. “The commission had a full meeting last Monday and our stand is to maintain the current policy of one language－the national […]
Not hard to master national language
BY SOON LI WEI I can still recall a Chinese youth I met at a clinic two years ago who could hardly communicate in Bahasa Melayu. I was waiting for my turn to see the doctor when the young man who was probably in his 20s asked me in Mandarin if I could help him […]
Team passes 6 declarations
KUCHING: Seni Khat Action Team (Sekat) has passed six declarations on empowering the national language. Its secretary, Arun Dorasamy said, the Sarawak Voice Declaration was a move at empowering the national language without neglecting the importance of the vernacular languages and schools. “The national language is the right of all Malaysians and should not be […]
