Progress not at the expense of Malay language, says minister

THE NEED to be progressive in this era of information-communication technology (ICT) and to be at par with other developed nations in the international arena should not be made at the expense of the Malay language, said Minister of Communications.

Pehin Orang Kaya Seri Kerna Dato Seri Setia Hj Abu Bakar Hj Apong said it cannot be denied the important role English language and other international languages play as a 'knowledge language' in order to achieve the same level of development as other developed nations.

"But at the same time we need to balance this development with the development of Malay Language, the pillar of the nation's identity," he added.

The minister, speaking at the opening a forum on the Malay Language held at the International Convention Centre last night, also touched on the many challenges faced by the Malay language in this era of ICT, namely its 'contents'

He pointed out that knowledge and information in the mass media in Malay is lesser compared to that available in English.

The challenge is on how to develop the Malay language through ICT and change that challenge into opportunities and how to change youths' mindset towards dispensing and using information especially in the Malay language through the Internet, the minister said.

He added that if the survival and continuance of the Malay language depends on the youths of this nation then it is only befitting that the responsibility of facing these challenges lie on their shoulders.

"The number of Malay language users in the region is much larger compared to the population and users of the Japanese, Vietnamese or Korean languages however there is no reason for the Malay language not to have its own software contents when these countries have their own with parts of their economy thriving on that technology," said the minister.

"The answer to this question is the youths as they are the foundation and gatekeepers of this technology," he added.

The forum saw the discussion of the nations youth as the generation to inherit the continuance and to ensure survival of the Malay language and how to develop the Malay language and promote it to the youths through the use of ICT.

The forum also saw the discussion turn towards safeguarding and reinforcing the Malay language as the nation's mother tongue and how foreign languages are seeping and integrating into the culture through ICT.

This resulted in further discussions on the protection of the Malay language among the youths and how the depletion of its use among the youths today should become a national agenda.

The forum, attended by members of the public and officers from the Language and Literature Bureau comprised a panel of speakers namely Pehin Jawatan Dalam Seri Maharaja Dato Seri Utama Dr Hj Mohd Jamil Al Sufri Begawan Pehin Udana Khatib Dato Seri Paduka Hj Umar, Head of Brunei History Centre; Dr Mataim Bakar, Director of Language and Literature Bureau and Professor Madya Dr Hj Hashim Hj Abd Hamid, Malay Literature Department Lecturer at Universiti Brunei Darussalam.

The Brunei Times