INDONESIA’s Education, Culture, Research and Technology Minister Nadiem Makarim has apparently rejected Malaysia’s proposal to make Bahasa Melayu (BM) as Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) second official language.
According to Indonesian new portal Kompas Online, Nadiem suggested for Bahasa Indonesia to be used instead, claiming it is used by more than 47 countries.
“Bahasa Indonesia is taught in many universities in the Europe, the US, the US and several Asian countries.
“Bahasa Indonesia is also advantageous in terms of its history and linguistics. Hence, I believe that it is more suitable to be at the forefront and used as a medium of communication for official ASEAN events,” he added.
Since ascending the top post at Putrajaya, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob has embarked on measures to strengthen the use of BM locally and abroad.
He has since instructed Malaysian dignitaries to use BM at official events in foreign nations as well, which included correspondence letter but attached with an English transcript.
In an official visit to Indonesia last week, Ismail Sabri said that Indonesian President Joko Widodo had agreed to strengthen the use of BM in the region.
“We agreed that perhaps one day, the language which was a foothold across the region can be used in ASEAN settings.
“Among the languages that share the same roots as BM are Bahasa Indonesia, Brunei Malay, Southern Thai Malay and Champa Malay,” the Bera MP was reported as saying.
On that note, Nadiem said that his ministry was tasked to expand, promote and protect the Indonesian language and literature, in addition to promoting its use at international forums.
“Therefore, the proposal to elevate BM as the ASEAN level needs a thorough study but as an Indonesian minister, I reject the idea,” he remarked. – April 5, 2022
