THE Government should prioritise more pressing economic issues than dishing out punitive measures over the supposed disrespect of the national language, said Warisan deputy president Datuk Darell Leiking.
This came following Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka’s (DBP) board of governors’ chairman Datuk Seri Awang Sariyan’s proposal of a fine of up to RM50,000 or jail time after the Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka Act 1959 is amended.
According to Leiking, the country is currently facing a huge national debt, stagnated development and rising costs of living, and therefore proposed laws on the national language will not resolve such issues.
“What amounts to being disrespectful and who will enforce this so-called law? The use of other languages does not destroy ethnicity or belonging. In fact, other languages can co-exist with Bahasa Malaysia,” the Penampang MP was quoted as saying by The Vibes.
“The world is so connected today and English will remain a global communication tool. No one should be ashamed of conversing in English nor does it diminish other languages.”
On Tuesday (June 21), Bernama reported Awang as saying that the two punishments were among the items proposed in the amendments to the Act, which are now in the final stage of discussion before being presented to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob next month.
“This is not about grammar or spelling errors, but disrespect for the national language. The proposed fine is not to punish but to evoke love and patriotism for the country,” the national news agency reported him as saying at DBP’s 66th Anniversary celebration. – June 23, 2022
