KUALA LUMPUR, June 28 (Bernama) -- The Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka (DBP)
will carry out a pilot Bahasa Malaysia audit project in July and August
with the aim of enhancing the use of the national language in coherent,
correct and courteous manner in the public service, said Tan Sri
Muhyiddin Yassin.
The deputy prime minister said the Public Service Department (PSD)
would follow suit by carrying out its own Bahasa Malaysia audit to gauge
the proficiency of the Malay language among civil servants from
December.
He said the government was firm in upholding Bahasa Malaysia as the
national language and would ensure that it would become the language of
communication, knowledge and administration in an effort to build a
resilient and united nation.
For this purpose, he said the PSD had issued many circulars, including
the most recent one, the Circular No. 09/2011 on the use of the national
language in the civil service.
"The circular states that the national language shall be used for all
official business in the country, including correspondence, agreements,
meetings and official functions involving the presence Malaysian
citizens, advertising job vacancies, counter service and dealing with
the media," he said when opening a seminar on the Malay literature and
culture in education here today.
Muhyiddin, who is also education minister, said the circular also
entrusted public officials and members of the administration with the
responsibility of using the national language coherently and correctly
while safeguarding and monitoring its usage in all ministries and
government agencies.
In addition, he said the government would create a star rating system
on the use of the national language to appreciate efforts of local
authorities in upholding its usage in public places.
In this regard, he said the DBP, the local government and state
governments would cooperate to develop and implement a star rating
system as a pilot project next year.
"I hope all Malaysians regardless of racial background can speak the
national language coherently and correctly, and to respect its usage in
government departments, the private sector and public places," he said.
Muhyidin said he believed that the country's education system had a
major role to play in strengthening the national language and fostering
national unity.
"The use of Bahasa Malaysia as the main medium of instruction in the
education system will not only enable the people to master the national
language, but also appreciate the values of solidarity and national
identity being assimilated," he added.
Muhyiddin said the government had set up the National Language
Implementation Committee which would ensure that status and position of
Bahasa Malaysia as the national language is protected and monitor its
usage in various ministries, departments and agencies as well as the
private sector.
"The committee, chaired by me, has implemented several initiatives to
promote the use of the national language in the public and private
sectors, including by publishing a guideline on its usage in mass
communication, the national language promotion programme in six Chinese
new villages and a seminar on the implementation of the national
language in the trade and consumer affairs sector," he said.
Muhyiddin later launched a literature and heritage magazine published
by Gapena and approved an allocation of RM500,000 for Gapena to finance
linguistic and literary activities.
Thirty-two non-governmental organisation officials submitted a
memorandum to Muhyiddin, urging the government to maintain the Malay
language as the medium of instruction.
Present were Gapena leader one Prof Datuk Wira Dr Abdul Latiff Abu
Bakar, Melaka State Assembly speaker Datuk Wira Othman Muhammad and DBP
vice-chairman Prof Datuk Dr Md Salleh Yaapar.
No comments:
Post a Comment